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SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING A SECONDARY COMMUNICATION CHANNEL TO
CONTROL AN INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT) DEVICE

Abstract

A system and method are described for establishing a secondary
communication channel between an IoT device and a client device. For
example, one embodiment of a method comprises: establishing a primary
secure communication channel between the IoT device and an IoT service
using a primary set of keys; performing a secondary key exchange using
the primary secure communication channel, the client device and the IoT
device each being provided with a secondary set of keys following the
secondary key exchange; detecting that the primary secure communication
channel is inoperative; and responsively establishing a secondary secure
wireless connection between the client device and the IoT device using
the secondary set of keys, the client device being provided with access
to data and functions made available by the IoT device over the secondary
secure wireless connection.

1. A method to establish a secondary communication channel between an
Internet of Things (IoT) device and a client device comprising:
establishing a primary secure communication channel between the IoT
device and an IoT service using a primary set of keys; performing a
secondary key exchange using the primary secure communication channel,
the client device and the IoT device each being provided with a secondary
set of keys following the secondary key exchange; detecting that the
primary secure communication channel is inoperative; and responsively
establishing a secondary secure wireless connection between the client
device and the IoT device using the secondary set of keys, the client
device being provided with access to data and/or functions made available
by the IoT device over the secondary secure wireless connection.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein the access to data and/or functions
over the secondary secure wireless connection comprises more limited
access to the data and/or functions than when connected over the primary
secure communication channel.

3. The method as in claim 1 further comprising: storing a passcode on the
IoT device; requesting a user to enter the passcode from the client
device; and providing access to the data and/or functions of the IoT
device only if the user enters the correct passcode from the wireless
device.

4. The method as in claim 3 further comprising: initially receiving the
passcode from an app on the client device prior to storing the passcode
on the IoT device, the user choosing the passcode and the passcode being
transmitted to the IoT device over the primary secure communication
channel.

5. The method as in claim 4 further comprising: executing the app on the
client device to prompt the user to enter the passcode upon establishing
the secondary secure wireless connection, the passcode being transmitted
from the app to the IoT device prior to the IoT device providing access
to the data and/or functions.

6. The method as in claim 5 wherein the IoT device comprises a wireless
door lock and wherein at least one function to be accessed over the
secondary secure communication channel comprises unlocking the door lock.

7. The method as in claim 1 wherein establishing a primary secure
communication channel between the IoT device and an IoT service using a
primary set of keys comprises: establishing communication between the IoT
service and the IoT device through an IoT hub or a client device;
generating a service public key and a service private key by key
generation logic of a first encryption engine on the IoT service;
generating a device public key and a device private key by key generation
logic of a second encryption engine on the IoT device; transmitting the
service public key from the first encryption engine to the second
encryption engine and transmitting the device public key from the second
encryption engine to the first encryption engine; generating a secret
using the device public key and the service private key; generating the
same secret using the service public key and the device private key; and
encrypting and decrypting data packets transmitted between the first
encryption engine and the second encryption engine using the secret or
using data structures derived from the secret.

9. The method as in claim 8 wherein the data structures derived from the
secret comprise a first key stream generated by the first encryption
engine and a second key stream generated by the second encryption engine.

10. The method as in claim 9 wherein a first counter is associated with
the first encryption engine and a second counter is associated with the
second encryption engine, the first encryption engine incrementing the
first counter responsive to each data packet transmitted to the second
encryption engine and the second encryption engine incrementing the
second counter responsive to each data packet transmitted to the first
encryption engine.

11. The method as in claim 10 wherein the first encryption engine
generates the first key stream using a current counter value of the first
counter and the secret and the second encryption engine generates the
second key stream using a current counter value of the second counter and
the secret.

12. The method as in claim 11 wherein the first encryption engine
comprises an elliptic curve method (ECM) module to generate the first key
stream using the first counter value and the secret and the second
encryption engine comprises an ECM module to generate the second key
stream using the first counter value and the secret.

13. The method as in claim 11 wherein the first encryption engine
encrypts a first data packet using the first key stream to generate a
first encrypted data packet and transmits the first encrypted data packet
to the second encryption engine along with a current counter value of the
first counter.

14. The method as in claim 13 wherein the second encryption engine uses
the current counter value of the first counter and the secret to generate
the first key stream and uses the first key stream to decrypt the
encrypted data packet.

15. A system comprising: an IoT device to establish a primary secure
communication channel with an IoT service using a primary set of keys;
the IoT device to perform a secondary key exchange using the primary
secure communication channel; a client device and the IoT device each
being provided with a secondary set of keys following the secondary key
exchange; the IoT device and/or client device to detect that the primary
secure communication channel is inoperative; and the IoT device and/or
client device to responsively establish a secondary secure wireless
connection between the client device and the IoT device using the
secondary set of keys; the client device being provided with access to
data and/or functions made available by the IoT device over the secondary
secure wireless connection.

16. The system as in claim 15 wherein the access to data and/or functions
over the secondary secure wireless connection comprises more limited
access to the data and/or functions than when connected over the primary
secure communication channel.

17. The system as in claim 15 further comprising: an authentication
module to store a passcode on the IoT device and to prompt a user to
enter the passcode from the client device; the authentication module
providing access to the data and/or functions of the IoT device only if
the user enters the correct passcode from the wireless device.

18. The system as in claim 17 wherein the passcode is initially received
from an an app on the client device prior to storing the passcode on the
IoT device, the user choosing the passcode and the passcode being
transmitted to the IoT device over the primary secure communication
channel.

19. The system as in claim 18 further comprising: the app executed on the
client device to prompt the user to enter the passcode upon establishing
the secondary secure wireless connection, the passcode being transmitted
from the app to the IoT device prior to the IoT device providing access
to the data and/or functions.

20. The system as in claim 19 wherein the IoT device comprises a wireless
door lock and wherein at least one function to be accessed over the
secondary secure communication channel comprises locking or unlocking the
door lock.

21. The system as in claim 15 wherein establishing a primary secure
communication channel between the IoT device and an IoT service using a
primary set of keys comprises: the IoT service establishing communication
with the IoT device through an IoT hub or a client device; a first
encryption engine on the IoT service comprising key generation logic to
generate a service public key and a service private key; a second
encryption engine on the IoT device comprising key generation logic to
generate a device public key and a device private key; the first
encryption engine to transmit the service public key to the second
encryption engine and the second encryption engine to transmit the device
public key to the first encryption engine; the first encryption engine to
use the device public key and the service private key to generate a
secret; the second encryption engine to use the service public key and
the device private key to generate the same secret; and wherein once the
secret is generated, the first encryption engine and the second
encryption engine encrypt and decrypt data packets transmitted between
the first encryption engine and the second encryption engine using the
secret or using data structures derived from the secret.

22. The system as in claim 21 wherein the key generation logic comprises
a hardware security module (HSM).

23. The system as in claim 22 wherein the data structures derived from
the secret comprise a first key stream generated by the first encryption
engine and a second key stream generated by the second encryption engine.

24. The system as in claim 23 further comprising a first counter
associated with the first encryption engine and a second counter
associated with the second encryption engine, the first encryption engine
incrementing the first counter responsive to each data packet transmitted
to the second encryption engine and the second encryption engine
incrementing the second counter responsive to each data packet
transmitted to the first encryption engine.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates generally to the field of computer systems.
More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method for
establishing a secondary communication channel to control and IoT device.

[0003] Description of the Related Art

[0004] The "Internet of Things" refers to the interconnection of
uniquely-identifiable embedded devices within the Internet
infrastructure. Ultimately, IoT is expected to result in new,
wide-ranging types of applications in which virtually any type of
physical thing may provide information about itself or its surroundings
and/or may be controlled remotely via client devices over the Internet.

[0005] The assignee of the present application has developed a system in
which IoT devices perform a secure key exchange to establish secure
communication channels with an IoT service. Once a secure communication
channel is established, the IoT service may securely control and receive
data from the IoT device. In some cases, however, it may be desirable to
allow a second channel to be established with the IoT device such as, for
example, when the IoT service is inaccessible (e.g., when network
connectivity is lost).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained
from the following detailed description in conjunction with the following
drawings, in which:

[0007] FIGS. 1A-B illustrates different embodiments of an IoT system
architecture;

[0008] FIG. 2 illustrates an IoT device in accordance with one embodiment
of the invention;

[0009] FIG. 3 illustrates an IoT hub in accordance with one embodiment of
the invention;

[0010] FIG. 4A-B illustrate embodiments of the invention for controlling
and collecting data from IoT devices, and generating notifications;

[0039] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation,
numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough
understanding of the embodiments of the invention described below. It
will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the embodiments
of the invention may be practiced without some of these specific details.
In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block
diagram form to avoid obscuring the underlying principles of the
embodiments of the invention.

[0040] One embodiment of the invention comprises an Internet of Things
(IoT) platform which may be utilized by developers to design and build
new IoT devices and applications. In particular, one embodiment includes
a base hardware/software platform for IoT devices including a predefined
networking protocol stack and an IoT hub through which the IoT devices
are coupled to the Internet. In addition, one embodiment includes an IoT
service through which the IoT hubs and connected IoT devices may be
accessed and managed as described below. In addition, one embodiment of
the IoT platform includes an IoT app or Web application (e.g., executed
on a client device) to access and configured the IoT service, hub and
connected devices. Existing online retailers and other Website operators
may leverage the IoT platform described herein to readily provide unique
IoT functionality to existing user bases.

[0041] FIG. 1A illustrates an overview of an architectural platform on
which embodiments of the invention may be implemented. In particular, the
illustrated embodiment includes a plurality of IoT devices 101-105
communicatively coupled over local communication channels 130 to a
central IoT hub 110 which is itself communicatively coupled to an IoT
service 120 over the Internet 220. Each of the IoT devices 101-105 may
initially be paired to the IoT hub 110 (e.g., using the pairing
techniques described below) in order to enable each of the local
communication channels 130. In one embodiment, the IoT service 120
includes an end user database 122 for maintaining user account
information and data collected from each user's IoT devices. For example,
if the IoT devices include sensors (e.g., temperature sensors,
accelerometers, heat sensors, motion detectore, etc), the database 122
may be continually updated to store the data collected by the IoT devices
101-105. The data stored in the database 122 may then be made accessible
to the end user via the IoT app or browser installed on the user's device
135 (or via a desktop or other client computer system) and to web clients
(e.g., such as websites 130 subscribing to the IoT service 120).

[0042] The IoT devices 101-105 may be equipped with various types of
sensors to collect information about themselves and their surroundings
and provide the collected information to the IoT service 120, user
devices 135 and/or external Websites 130 via the IoT hub 110. Some of the
IoT devices 101-105 may perform a specified function in response to
control commands sent through the IoT hub 110. Various specific examples
of information collected by the IoT devices 101-105 and control commands
are provided below. In one embodiment described below, the IoT device 101
is a user input device designed to record user selections and send the
user selections to the IoT service 120 and/or Website.

[0043] In one embodiment, the IoT hub 110 includes a cellular radio to
establish a connection to the Internet 220 via a cellular service 115
such as a 4G (e.g., Mobile WiMAX, LTE) or 5G cellular data service.
Alternatively, or in addition, the IoT hub 110 may include a WiFi radio
to establish a WiFi connection through a WiFi access point or router 116
which couples the IoT hub 110 to the Internet (e.g., via an Internet
Service Provider providing Internet service to the end user). Of course,
it should be noted that the underlying principles of the invention are
not limited to any particular type of communication channel or protocol.

[0044] In one embodiment, the IoT devices 101-105 are ultra low-power
devices capable of operating for extended periods of time on battery
power (e.g., years). To conserve power, the local communication channels
130 may be implemented using a low-power wireless communication
technology such as Bluetooth Low Energy (LE). In this embodiment, each of
the IoT devices 101-105 and the IoT hub 110 are equipped with Bluetooth
LE radios and protocol stacks.

[0045] As mentioned, in one embodiment, the IoT platform includes an IoT
app or Web application executed on user devices 135 to allow users to
access and configure the connected IoT devices 101-105, IoT hub 110,
and/or IoT service 120. In one embodiment, the app or web application may
be designed by the operator of a Website 130 to provide IoT functionality
to its user base. As illustrated, the Website may maintain a user
database 131 containing account records related to each user.

[0046] FIG. 1B illustrates additional connection options for a plurality
of IoT hubs 110-111, 190 In this embodiment a single user may have
multiple hubs 110-111 installed onsite at a single user premises 180
(e.g., the user's home or business). This may be done, for example, to
extend the wireless range needed to connect all of the IoT devices
101-105. As indicated, if a user has multiple hubs 110, 111 they may be
connected via a local communication channel (e.g., Wifi, Ethernet, Power
Line Networking, etc). In one embodiment, each of the hubs 110-111 may
establish a direct connection to the IoT service 120 through a cellular
115 or WiFi 116 connection (not explicitly shown in FIG. 1B).
Alternatively, or in addition, one of the IoT hubs such as IoT hub 110
may act as a "master" hub which provides connectivity and/or local
services to all of the other IoT hubs on the user premises 180, such as
IoT hub 111 (as indicated by the dotted line connecting IoT hub 110 and
IoT hub 111). For example, the master IoT hub 110 may be the only IoT hub
to establish a direct connection to the IoT service 120. In one
embodiment, only the "master" IoT hub 110 is equipped with a cellular
communication interface to establish the connection to the IoT service
120. As such, all communication between the IoT service 120 and the other
IoT hubs 111 will flow through the master IoT hub 110. In this role, the
master IoT hub 110 may be provided with additional program code to
perform filtering operations on the data exchanged between the other IoT
hubs 111 and IoT service 120 (e.g., servicing some data requests locally
when possible).

[0047] Regardless of how the IoT hubs 110-111 are connected, in one
embodiment, the IoT service 120 will logically associate the hubs with
the user and combine all of the attached IoT devices 101-105 under a
single comprehensive user interface, accessible via a user device with
the installed app 135 (and/or a browser-based interface).

[0048] In this embodiment, the master IoT hub 110 and one or more slave
IoT hubs 111 may connect over a local network which may be a WiFi network
116, an Ethernet network, and/or a using power-line communications (PLC)
networking (e.g., where all or portions of the network are run through
the user's power lines). In addition, to the IoT hubs 110-111, each of
the IoT devices 101-105 may be interconnected with the IoT hubs 110-111
using any type of local network channel such as WiFi, Ethernet, PLC, or
Bluetooth LE, to name a few.

[0049] FIG. 1B also shows an IoT hub 190 installed at a second user
premises 181. A virtually unlimited number of such IoT hubs 190 may be
installed and configured to collect data from IoT devices 191-192 at user
premises around the world. In one embodiment, the two user premises
180-181 may be configured for the same user. For example, one user
premises 180 may be the user's primary home and the other user premises
181 may be the user's vacation home. In such a case, the IoT service 120
will logically associate the IoT hubs 110-111, 190 with the user and
combine all of the attached IoT devices 101-105, 191-192 under a single
comprehensive user interface, accessible via a user device with the
installed app 135 (and/or a browser-based interface).

[0050] As illustrated in FIG. 2, an exemplary embodiment of an IoT device
101 includes a memory 210 for storing program code and data 201-203 and a
low power microcontroller 200 for executing the program code and
processing the data. The memory 210 may be a volatile memory such as
dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or may be a non-volatile memory such
as Flash memory. In one embodiment, a non-volatile memory may be used for
persistent storage and a volatile memory may be used for execution of the
program code and data at runtime. Moreover, the memory 210 may be
integrated within the low power microcontroller 200 or may be coupled to
the low power microcontroller 200 via a bus or communication fabric. The
underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular
implementation of the memory 210.

[0051] As illustrated, the program code may include application program
code 203 defining an application-specific set of functions to be
performed by the IoT device 201 and library code 202 comprising a set of
predefined building blocks which may be utilized by the application
developer of the IoT device 101. In one embodiment, the library code 202
comprises a set of basic functions required to implement an IoT device
such as a communication protocol stack 201 for enabling communication
between each IoT device 101 and the IoT hub 110. As mentioned, in one
embodiment, the communication protocol stack 201 comprises a Bluetooth LE
protocol stack. In this embodiment, Bluetooth LE radio and antenna 207
may be integrated within the low power microcontroller 200. However, the
underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular
communication protocol.

[0052] The particular embodiment shown in FIG. 2 also includes a plurality
of input devices or sensors 210 to receive user input and provide the
user input to the low power microcontroller, which processes the user
input in accordance with the application code 203 and library code 202.
In one embodiment, each of the input devices include an LED 209 to
provide feedback to the end user.

[0053] In addition, the illustrated embodiment includes a battery 208 for
supplying power to the low power microcontroller. In one embodiment, a
non-chargeable coin cell battery is used. However, in an alternate
embodiment, an integrated rechargeable battery may be used (e.g.,
rechargeable by connecting the IoT device to an AC power supply (not
shown)).

[0054] A speaker 205 is also provided for generating audio. In one
embodiment, the low power microcontroller 299 includes audio decoding
logic for decoding a compressed audio stream (e.g., such as an
MPEG-4/Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) stream) to generate audio on the
speaker 205. Alternatively, the low power microcontroller 200 and/or the
application code/data 203 may include digitally sampled snippets of audio
to provide verbal feedback to the end user as the user enters selections
via the input devices 210.

[0055] In one embodiment, one or more other/alternate I/O devices or
sensors 250 may be included on the IoT device 101 based on the particular
application for which the IoT device 101 is designed. For example, an
environmental sensor may be included to measure temperature, pressure,
humidity, etc. A security sensor and/or door lock opener may be included
if the IoT device is used as a security device. Of course, these examples
are provided merely for the purposes of illustration. The underlying
principles of the invention are not limited to any particular type of IoT
device. In fact, given the highly programmable nature of the low power
microcontroller 200 equipped with the library code 202, an application
developer may readily develop new application code 203 and new I/O
devices 250 to interface with the low power microcontroller for virtually
any type of IoT application.

[0056] In one embodiment, the low power microcontroller 200 also includes
a secure key store for storing encryption keys for encrypting
communications and/or generating signatures. Alternatively, the keys may
be secured in a subscriber identify module (SIM).

[0057] A wakeup receiver 207 is included in one embodiment to wake the IoT
device from an ultra low power state in which it is consuming virtually
no power. In one embodiment, the wakeup receiver 207 is configured to
cause the IoT device 101 to exit this low power state in response to a
wakeup signal received from a wakeup transmitter 307 configured on the
IoT hub 110 as shown in FIG. 3. In particular, in one embodiment, the
transmitter 307 and receiver 207 together form an electrical resonant
transformer circuit such as a Tesla coil. In operation, energy is
transmitted via radio frequency signals from the transmitter 307 to the
receiver 207 when the hub 110 needs to wake the IoT device 101 from a
very low power state. Because of the energy transfer, the IoT device 101
may be configured to consume virtually no power when it is in its low
power state because it does not need to continually "listen" for a signal
from the hub (as is the case with network protocols which allow devices
to be awakened via a network signal). Rather, the microcontroller 200 of
the IoT device 101 may be configured to wake up after being effectively
powered down by using the energy electrically transmitted from the
transmitter 307 to the receiver 207.

[0058] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the IoT hub 110 also includes a memory
317 for storing program code and data 305 and hardware logic 301 such as
a microcontroller for executing the program code and processing the data.
A wide area network (WAN) interface 302 and antenna 310 couple the IoT
hub 110 to the cellular service 115. Alternatively, as mentioned above,
the IoT hub 110 may also include a local network interface (not shown)
such as a WiFi interface (and WiFi antenna) or Ethernet interface for
establishing a local area network communication channel. In one
embodiment, the hardware logic 301 also includes a secure key store for
storing encryption keys for encrypting communications and
generating/verifying signatures. Alternatively, the keys may be secured
in a subscriber identify module (SIM).

[0059] A local communication interface 303 and antenna 311 establishes
local communication channels with each of the IoT devices 101-105. As
mentioned above, in one embodiment, the local communication interface
303/antenna 311 implements the Bluetooth LE standard. However, the
underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular
protocols for establishing the local communication channels with the IoT
devices 101-105. Although illustrated as separate units in FIG. 3, the
WAN interface 302 and/or local communication interface 303 may be
embedded within the same chip as the hardware logic 301.

[0060] In one embodiment, the program code and data includes a
communication protocol stack 308 which may include separate stacks for
communicating over the local communication interface 303 and the WAN
interface 302. In addition, device pairing program code and data 306 may
be stored in the memory to allow the IoT hub to pair with new IoT
devices. In one embodiment, each new IoT device 101-105 is assigned a
unique code which is communicated to the IoT hub 110 during the pairing
process. For example, the unique code may be embedded in a barcode on the
IoT device and may be read by the barcode reader 106 or may be
communicated over the local communication channel 130. In an alternate
embodiment, the unique ID code is embedded magnetically on the IoT device
and the IoT hub has a magnetic sensor such as an radio frequency ID
(RFID) or near field communication (NFC) sensor to detect the code when
the IoT device 101 is moved within a few inches of the IoT hub 110.

[0061] In one embodiment, once the unique ID has been communicated, the
IoT hub 110 may verify the unique ID by querying a local database (not
shown), performing a hash to verify that the code is acceptable, and/or
communicating with the IoT service 120, user device 135 and/or Website
130 to validate the ID code. Once validated, in one embodiment, the IoT
hub 110 pairs the IoT device 101 and stores the pairing data in memory
317 (which, as mentioned, may include non-volatile memory). Once pairing
is complete, the IoT hub 110 may connect with the IoT device 101 to
perform the various IoT functions described herein.

[0062] In one embodiment, the organization running the IoT service 120 may
provide the IoT hub 110 and a basic hardware/software platform to allow
developers to easily design new IoT services. In particular, in addition
to the IoT hub 110, developers may be provided with a software
development kit (SDK) to update the program code and data 305 executed
within the hub 110. In addition, for IoT devices 101, the SDK may include
an extensive set of library code 202 designed for the base IoT hardware
(e.g., the low power microcontroller 200 and other components shown in
FIG. 2) to facilitate the design of various different types of
applications 101. In one embodiment, the SDK includes a graphical design
interface in which the developer needs only to specify input and outputs
for the IoT device. All of the networking code, including the
communication stack 201 that allows the IoT device 101 to connect to the
hub 110 and the service 120, is already in place for the developer. In
addition, in one embodiment, the SDK also includes a library code base to
facilitate the design of apps for mobile devices (e.g., iPhone and
Android devices).

[0063] In one embodiment, the IoT hub 110 manages a continuous
bi-directional stream of data between the IoT devices 101-105 and the IoT
service 120. In circumstances where updates to/from the IoT devices
101-105 are required in real time (e.g., where a user needs to view the
current status of security devices or environmental readings), the IoT
hub may maintain an open TCP socket to provide regular updates to the
user device 135 and/or external Websites 130. The specific networking
protocol used to provide updates may be tweaked based on the needs of the
underlying application. For example, in some cases, where may not make
sense to have a continuous bi-directional stream, a simple
request/response protocol may be used to gather information when needed.

[0064] In one embodiment, both the IoT hub 110 and the IoT devices 101-105
are automatically upgradeable over the network. In particular, when a new
update is available for the IoT hub 110 it may automatically download and
install the update from the IoT service 120. It may first copy the
updated code into a local memory, run and verify the update before
swapping out the older program code. Similarly, when updates are
available for each of the IoT devices 101-105, they may initially be
downloaded by the IoT hub 110 and pushed out to each of the IoT devices
101-105. Each IoT device 101-105 may then apply the update in a similar
manner as described above for the IoT hub and report back the results of
the update to the IoT hub 110. If the update is successful, then the IoT
hub 110 may delete the update from its memory and record the latest
version of code installed on each IoT device (e.g., so that it may
continue to check for new updates for each IoT device).

[0065] In one embodiment, the IoT hub 110 is powered via A/C power. In
particular, the IoT hub 110 may include a power unit 390 with a
transformer for transforming A/C voltage supplied via an A/C power cord
to a lower DC voltage.

[0066] FIG. 4A illustrates one embodiment of the invention for performing
universal remote control operations using the IoT system. In particular,
in this embodiment, a set of IoT devices 101-103 are equipped with
infrared (IR) and/or radio frequency (RF) blasters 401-403, respectively,
for transmitting remote control codes to control various different types
of electronics equipment including air conditioners/heaters 430, lighting
systems 431, and audiovisual equipment 432 (to name just a few). In the
embodiment shown in FIG. 4A, the IoT devices 101-103 are also equipped
with sensors 404-406, respectively, for detecting the operation of the
devices which they control, as described below.

[0067] For example, sensor 404 in IoT device 101 may be a temperature
and/or humidity sensor for sensing the current temperature/humidity and
responsively controlling the air conditioner/heater 430 based on a
current desired temperature. In this embodiment, the air
conditioner/heater 430 is one which is designed to be controlled via a
remote control device (typically a remote control which itself has a
temperature sensor embedded therein). In one embodiment, the user
provides the desired temperature to the IoT hub 110 via an app or browser
installed on a user device 135. Control logic 412 executed on the IoT hub
110 receives the current temperature/humidity data from the sensor 404
and responsively transmits commands to the IoT device 101 to control the
IR/RF blaster 401 in accordance with the desired temperature/humidity.
For example, if the temperature is below the desired temperature, then
the control logic 412 may transmit a command to the air
conditioner/heater via the IR/RF blaster 401 to increase the temperature
(e.g., either by turning off the air conditioner or turning on the
heater). The command may include the necessary remote control code stored
in a database 413 on the IoT hub 110. Alternatively, or in addition, the
IoT service 421 may implement control logic 421 to control the
electronics equipment 430-432 based on specified user preferences and
stored control codes 422.

[0068] IoT device 102 in the illustrated example is used to control
lighting 431. In particular, sensor 405 in IoT device 102 may photosensor
or photodetector configured to detect the current brightness of the light
being produced by a light fixture 431 (or other lighting apparatus). The
user may specify a desired lighting level (including an indication of ON
or OFF) to the IoT hub 110 via the user device 135. In response, the
control logic 412 will transmit commands to the IR/RF blaster 402 to
control the current brightness level of the lights 431 (e.g., increasing
the lighting if the current brightness is too low or decreasing the
lighting if the current brightness is too high; or simply turning the
lights ON or OFF).

[0069] IoT device 103 in the illustrated example is configured to control
audiovisual equipment 432 (e.g., a television, A/V receiver,
cable/satellite receiver, AppleTV.TM., etc). Sensor 406 in IoT device 103
may be an audio sensor (e.g., a microphone and associated logic) for
detecting a current ambient volume level and/or a photosensor to detect
whether a television is on or off based on the light generated by the
television (e.g., by measuring the light within a specified spectrum).
Alternatively, sensor 406 may include a temperature sensor connected to
the audiovisual equipment to detect whether the audio equipment is on or
off based on the detected temperature. Once again, in response to user
input via the user device 135, the control logic 412 may transmit
commands to the audiovisual equipment via the IR blaster 403 of the IoT
device 103.

[0070] It should be noted that the foregoing are merely illustrative
examples of one embodiment of the invention. The underlying principles of
the invention are not limited to any particular type of sensors or
equipment to be controlled by IoT devices.

[0071] In an embodiment in which the IoT devices 101-103 are coupled to
the IoT hub 110 via a Bluetooth LE connection, the sensor data and
commands are sent over the Bluetooth LE channel. However, the underlying
principles of the invention are not limited to Bluetooth LE or any other
communication standard.

[0072] In one embodiment, the control codes required to control each of
the pieces of electronics equipment are stored in a database 413 on the
IoT hub 110 and/or a database 422 on the IoT service 120. As illustrated
in FIG. 4B, the control codes may be provided to the IoT hub 110 from a
master database of control codes 422 for different pieces of equipment
maintained on the IoT service 120. The end user may specify the types of
electronic (or other) equipment to be controlled via the app or browser
executed on the user device 135 and, in response, a remote control code
learning module 491 on the IoT hub may retrieve the required IR/RF codes
from the remote control code database 492 on the IoT service 120 (e.g.,
identifying each piece of electronic equipment with a unique ID).

[0073] In addition, in one embodiment, the IoT hub 110 is equipped with an
IR/RF interface 490 to allow the remote control code learning module 491
to "learn" new remote control codes directly from the original remote
control 495 provided with the electronic equipment. For example, if
control codes for the original remote control provided with the air
conditioner 430 is not included in the remote control database, the user
may interact with the IoT hub 110 via the app/browser on the user device
135 to teach the IoT hub 110 the various control codes generated by the
original remote control (e.g., increase temperature, decrease
temperature, etc). Once the remote control codes are learned they may be
stored in the control code database 413 on the IoT hub 110 and/or sent
back to the IoT service 120 to be included in the central remote control
code database 492 (and subsequently used by other users with the same air
conditioner unit 430).

[0074] In one embodiment, each of the IoT devices 101-103 have an
extremely small form factor and may be affixed on or near their
respective electronics equipment 430-432 using double-sided tape, a small
nail, a magnetic attachment, etc. For control of a piece of equipment
such as the air conditioner 430, it would be desirable to place the IoT
device 101 sufficiently far away so that the sensor 404 can accurately
measure the ambient temperature in the home (e.g., placing the IoT device
directly on the air conditioner would result in a temperature measurement
which would be too low when the air conditioner was running or too high
when the heater was running). In contrast, the IoT device 102 used for
controlling lighting may be placed on or near the lighting fixture 431
for the sensor 405 to detect the current lighting level.

[0075] In addition to providing general control functions as described,
one embodiment of the IoT hub 110 and/or IoT service 120 transmits
notifications to the end user related to the current status of each piece
of electronics equipment. The notifications, which may be text messages
and/or app-specific notifications, may then be displayed on the display
of the user's mobile device 135. For example, if the user's air
conditioner has been on for an extended period of time but the
temperature has not changed, the IoT hub 110 and/or IoT service 120 may
send the user a notification that the air conditioner is not functioning
properly. If the user is not home (which may be detected via motion
sensors or based on the user's current detected location), and the
sensors 406 indicate that audiovisual equipment 430 is on or sensors 405
indicate that the lights are on, then a notification may be sent to the
user, asking if the user would like to turn off the audiovisual equipment
432 and/or lights 431. The same type of notification may be sent for any
equipment type.

[0076] Once the user receives a notification, he/she may remotely control
the electronics equipment 430-432 via the app or browser on the user
device 135. In one embodiment, the user device 135 is a touchscreen
device and the app or browser displays an image of a remote control with
user-selectable buttons for controlling the equipment 430-432. Upon
receiving a notification, the user may open the graphical remote control
and turn off or adjust the various different pieces of equipment. If
connected via the IoT service 120, the user's selections may be forwarded
from the IoT service 120 to the IoT hub 110 which will then control the
equipment via the control logic 412. Alternatively, the user input may be
sent directly to the IoT hub 110 from the user device 135.

[0077] In one embodiment, the user may program the control logic 412 on
the IoT hub 110 to perform various automatic control functions with
respect to the electronics equipment 430-432. In addition to maintaining
a desired temperature, brightness level, and volume level as described
above, the control logic 412 may automatically turn off the electronics
equipment if certain conditions are detected. For example, if the control
logic 412 detects that the user is not home and that the air conditioner
is not functioning, it may automatically turn off the air conditioner.
Similarly, if the user is not home, and the sensors 406 indicate that
audiovisual equipment 430 is on or sensors 405 indicate that the lights
are on, then the control logic 412 may automatically transmit commands
via the IR/RF blasters 403 and 402, to turn off the audiovisual equipment
and lights, respectively.

[0078] FIG. 5 illustrates additional embodiments of IoT devices 104-105
equipped with sensors 503-504 for monitoring electronic equipment
530-531. In particular, the IoT device 104 of this embodiment includes a
temperature sensor 503 which may be placed on or near a stove 530 to
detect when the stove has been left on. In one embodiment, the IoT device
104 transmits the current temperature measured by the temperature sensor
503 to the IoT hub 110 and/or the IoT service 120. If the stove is
detected to be on for more than a threshold time period (e.g., based on
the measured temperature), then control logic 512 may transmit a
notification to the end user's device 135 informing the user that the
stove 530 is on. In addition, in one embodiment, the IoT device 104 may
include a control module 501 to turn off the stove, either in response to
receiving an instruction from the user or automatically (if the control
logic 512 is programmed to do so by the user). In one embodiment, the
control logic 501 comprises a switch to cut off electricity or gas to the
stove 530. However, in other embodiments, the control logic 501 may be
integrated within the stove itself.

[0079] FIG. 5 also illustrates an IoT device 105 with a motion sensor 504
for detecting the motion of certain types of electronics equipment such
as a washer and/or dryer. Another sensor that may be used is an audio
sensor (e.g., microphone and logic) for detecting an ambient volume
level. As with the other embodiments described above, this embodiment may
transmit notifications to the end user if certain specified conditions
are met (e.g., if motion is detected for an extended period of time,
indicating that the washer/dryer are not turning off). Although not shown
in FIG. 5, IoT device 105 may also be equipped with a control module to
turn off the washer/dryer 531 (e.g., by switching off electric/gas),
automatically, and/or in response to user input.

[0080] In one embodiment, a first IoT device with control logic and a
switch may be configured to turn off all power in the user's home and a
second IoT device with control logic and a switch may be configured to
turn off all gas in the user's home. IoT devices with sensors may then be
positioned on or near electronic or gas-powered equipment in the user's
home. If the user is notified that a particular piece of equipment has
been left on (e.g., the stove 530), the user may then send a command to
turn off all electricity or gas in the home to prevent damage.
Alternatively, the control logic 512 in the IoT hub 110 and/or the IoT
service 120 may be configured to automatically turn off electricity or
gas in such situations.

[0081] In one embodiment, the IoT hub 110 and IoT service 120 communicate
at periodic intervals. If the IoT service 120 detects that the connection
to the IoT hub 110 has been lost (e.g., by failing to receive a request
or response from the IoT hub for a specified duration), it will
communicate this information to the end user's device 135 (e.g., by
sending a text message or app-specific notification).

Apparatus and Method for Communicating Data Through an Intermediary Device

[0082] As mentioned above, because the wireless technologies used to
interconnect IoT devices such as Bluetooth LE are generally short range
technologies, if the hub for an IoT implementation is outside the range
of an IoT device, the IoT device will not be able to transmit data to the
IoT hub (and vice versa).

[0083] To address this deficiency, one embodiment of the invention
provides a mechanism for an IoT device which is outside of the wireless
range of the IoT hub to periodically connect with one or more mobile
devices when the mobile devices are within range. Once connected, the IoT
device can transmit any data which needs to be provided to the IoT hub to
the mobile device which then forwards the data to the IoT hub.

[0084] As illustrated in FIG. 6 one embodiment includes an IoT hub 110, an
IoT device 601 which is out of range of the IoT hub 110 and a mobile
device 611. The out of range IoT device 601 may include any form of IoT
device capable of collecting and communicating data. For example, the IoT
device 601 may comprise a data collection device configured within a
refrigerator to monitor the food items available in the refrigerator, the
users who consume the food items, and the current temperature. Of course,
the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any
particular type of IoT device. The techniques described herein may be
implemented using any type of IoT device including those used to collect
and transmit data for smart meters, stoves, washers, dryers, lighting
systems, HVAC systems, and audiovisual equipment, to name just a few.

[0085] Moreover, the mobile device In operation, the IoT device 611
illustrated in FIG. 6 may be any form of mobile device capable of
communicating and storing data. For example, in one embodiment, the
mobile device 611 is a smartphone with an app installed thereon to
facilitate the techniques described herein. In another embodiment, the
mobile device 611 comprises a wearable device such as a communication
token affixed to a neckless or bracelet, a smartwatch or a fitness
device. The wearable token may be particularly useful for elderly users
or other users who do not own a smartphone device.

[0086] In operation, the out of range IoT device 601 may periodically or
continually check for connectivity with a mobile device 611. Upon
establishing a connection (e.g., as the result of the user moving within
the vicinity of the refrigerator) any collected data 605 on the IoT
device 601 is automatically transmitted to a temporary data repository
615 on the mobile device 611. In one embodiment, the IoT device 601 and
mobile device 611 establish a local wireless communication channel using
a low power wireless standard such as BTLE. In such a case, the mobile
device 611 may initially be paired with the IoT device 601 using known
pairing techniques.

[0087] One the data has been transferred to the temporary data repository,
the mobile device 611 will transmit the data once communication is
established with the IoT hub 110 (e.g., when the user walks within the
range of the IoT hub 110). The IoT hub may then store the data in a
central data repository 413 and/or send the data over the Internet to one
or more services and/or other user devices. In one embodiment, the mobile
device 611 may use a different type of communication channel to provide
the data to the IoT hub 110 (potentially a higher power communication
channel such as WiFi).

[0088] The out of range IoT device 601, the mobile device 611, and the IoT
hub may all be configured with program code and/or logic to implement the
techniques described herein. As illustrated in FIG. 7, for example, the
IoT device 601 may be configured with intermediary connection logic
and/or application, the mobile device 611 may be configured with an
intermediary connection logic/application, and the IoT hub 110 may be
configured with an intermediary connection logic/application 721 to
perform the operations described herein. The intermediary connection
logic/application on each device may be implemented in hardware,
software, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the intermediary
connection logic/application 701 of the IoT device 601 searches and
establishes a connection with the intermediary connection
logic/application 711 on the mobile device (which may be implemented as a
device app) to transfer the data to the temporary data repository 615.
The intermediary connection logic/application 701 on the mobile device
611 then forwards the data to the intermediary connection
logic/application on the IoT hub, which stores the data in the central
data repository 413.

[0089] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the intermediary connection
logic/applications 701, 711, 721, on each device may be configured based
on the application at hand. For example, for a refrigerator, the
connection logic/application 701 may only need to transmit a few packets
on a periodic basis. For other applications (e.g., temperature sensors),
the connection logic/application 701 may need to transmit more frequent
updates.

[0090] Rather than a mobile device 611, in one embodiment, the IoT device
601 may be configured to establish a wireless connection with one or more
intermediary IoT devices, which are located within range of the IoT hub
110. In this embodiment, any IoT devices 601 out of range of the IoT hub
may be linked to the hub by forming a "chain" using other IoT devices.

[0091] In addition, while only a single mobile device 611 is illustrated
in FIGS. 6-7 for simplicity, in one embodiment, multiple such mobile
devices of different users may be configured to communicate with the IoT
device 601. Moreover, the same techniques may be implemented for multiple
other IoT devices, thereby forming an intermediary device data collection
system across the entire home.

[0092] Moreover, in one embodiment, the techniques described herein may be
used to collect various different types of pertinent data. For example,
in one embodiment, each time the mobile device 611 connects with the IoT
device 601, the identity of the user may be included with the collected
data 605. In this manner, the IoT system may be used to track the
behavior of different users within the home. For example, if used within
a refrigerator, the collected data 605 may then include the identify of
each user who passes by fridge, each user who opens the fridge, and the
specific food items consumed by each user. Different types of data may be
collected from other types of IoT devices. Using this data the system is
able to determine, for example, which user washes clothes, which user
watches TV on a given day, the times at which each user goes to sleep and
wakes up, etc. All of this crowd-sourced data may then be compiled within
the data repository 413 of the IoT hub and/or forwarded to an external
service or user.

[0093] Another beneficial application of the techniques described herein
is for monitoring elderly users who may need assistance. For this
application, the mobile device 611 may be a very small token worn by the
elderly user to collect the information in different rooms of the user's
home. Each time the user opens the refrigerator, for example, this data
will be included with the collected data 605 and transferred to the IoT
hub 110 via the token. The IoT hub may then provide the data to one or
more external users (e.g., the children or other individuals who care for
the elderly user). If data has not been collected for a specified period
of time (e.g., 12 hours), then this means that the elderly user has not
been moving around the home and/or has not been opening the refrigerator.
The IoT hub 110 or an external service connected to the IoT hub may then
transmit an alert notification to these other individuals, informing them
that they should check on the elderly user. In addition, the collected
data 605 may include other pertinent information such as the food being
consumed by the user and whether a trip to the grocery store is needed,
whether and how frequently the elderly user is watching TV, the frequency
with which the elderly user washes clothes, etc.

[0094] In another implementation, the if there is a problem with an
electronic device such as a washer, refrigerator, HVAC system, etc, the
collected data may include an indication of a part that needs to be
replaced. In such a case, a notification may be sent to a technician with
a request to fix the problem. The technician may then arrive at the home
with the needed replacement part.

[0095] A method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention is
illustrated in FIG. 8. The method may be implemented within the context
of the architectures described above, but is not limited to any
particular architecture.

[0096] At 801, an IoT device which is out of range of the IoT hub
periodically collects data (e.g., opening of the refrigerator door, food
items used, etc). At 802 the IoT device periodically or continually
checks for connectivity with a mobile device (e.g., using standard local
wireless techniques for establishing a connection such as those specified
by the BTLE standard). If the connection to the mobile device is
established, determined at 802, then at 803, the collected data is
transferred to the mobile device at 803. At 804, the mobile device
transfers the data to the IoT hub, an external service and/or a user. As
mentioned, the mobile device may transmit the data immediately if it is
already connected (e.g., via a WiFi link).

[0097] In addition to collecting data from IoT devices, in one embodiment,
the techniques described herein may be used to update or otherwise
provide data to IoT devices. One example is shown in FIG. 9A, which shows
an IoT hub 110 with program code updates 901 that need to be installed on
an IoT device 601 (or a group of such IoT devices). The program code
updates may include system updates, patches, configuration data and any
other data needed for the IoT device to operate as desired by the user.
In one embodiment, the user may specify configuration options for the IoT
device 601 via a mobile device or computer which are then stored on the
IoT hub 110 and provided to the IoT device using the techniques described
herein. Specifically, in one embodiment, the intermediary connection
logic/application 721 on the IoT hub 110 communicates with the
intermediary connection logic/application 711 on the mobile device 611 to
store the program code updates within a temporary storage 615. When the
mobile device 611 enters the range of the IoT device 601, the
intermediary connection logic/application 711 on the mobile device 611
connects with the intermediary/connection logic/application 701 on the
IoT device 601 to provide the program code updates to the device. In one
embodiment, the IoT device 601 may then enter into an automated update
process to install the new program code updates and/or data.

[0098] A method for updating an IoT device is shown in FIG. 9B. The method
may be implemented within the context of the system architectures
described above, but is not limited to any particular system
architectures.

[0099] At 900 new program code or data updates are made available on the
IoT hub and/or an external service (e.g., coupled to the mobile device
over the Internet). At 901, the mobile device receives and stores the
program code or data updates on behalf of the IoT device. The IoT device
and/or mobile device periodically check to determine whether a connection
has been established at 902. If a connection is established, determined
at 903, then at 904 the updates are transferred to the IoT device and
installed.

Embodiments for Improved Security

[0100] In one embodiment, the low power microcontroller 200 of each IoT
device 101 and the low power logic/microcontroller 301 of the IoT hub 110
include a secure key store for storing encryption keys used by the
embodiments described below (see, e.g., FIGS. 10-15 and associated text).
Alternatively, the keys may be secured in a subscriber identify module
(SIM) as discussed below.

[0102] Embodiments which use public/private key pairs will first be
described, followed by embodiments which use symmetric key
exchange/encryption techniques. In particular, in an embodiment which
uses PKI, a unique public/private key pair is associated with each IoT
device 101-102, each IoT hub 110 and the IoT service 120. In one
embodiment, when a new IoT hub 110 is set up, its public key is provided
to the IoT service 120 and when a new IoT device 101 is set up, it's
public key is provided to both the IoT hub 110 and the IoT service 120.
Various techniques for securely exchanging the public keys between
devices are described below. In one embodiment, all public keys are
signed by a master key known to all of the receiving devices (i.e., a
form of certificate) so that any receiving device can verify the validity
of the public keys by validating the signatures. Thus, these certificates
would be exchanged rather than merely exchanging the raw public keys.

[0103] As illustrated, in one embodiment, each IoT device 101, 102
includes a secure key storage 1001, 1003, respectively, for security
storing each device's private key. Security logic 1002, 1304 then
utilizes the securely stored private keys to perform the
encryption/decryption operations described herein. Similarly, the IoT hub
110 includes a secure storage 1011 for storing the IoT hub private key
and the public keys of the IoT devices 101-102 and the IoT service 120;
as well as security logic 1012 for using the keys to perform
encryption/decryption operations. Finally, the IoT service 120 may
include a secure storage 1021 for security storing its own private key,
the public keys of various IoT devices and IoT hubs, and a security logic
1013 for using the keys to encrypt/decrypt communication with IoT hubs
and devices. In one embodiment, when the IoT hub 110 receives a public
key certificate from an IoT device it can verify it (e.g., by validating
the signature using the master key as described above), and then extract
the public key from within it and store that public key in it's secure
key store 1011.

[0104] By way of example, in one embodiment, when the IoT service 120
needs to transmit a command or data to an IoT device 101 (e.g., a command
to unlock a door, a request to read a sensor, data to be
processed/displayed by the IoT device, etc) the security logic 1013
encrypts the data/command using the public key of the IoT device 101 to
generate an encrypted IoT device packet. In one embodiment, it then
encrypts the IoT device packet using the public key of the IoT hub 110 to
generate an IoT hub packet and transmits the IoT hub packet to the IoT
hub 110. In one embodiment, the service 120 signs the encrypted message
with it's private key or the master key mentioned above so that the
device 101 can verify it is receiving an unaltered message from a trusted
source. The device 101 may then validate the signature using the public
key corresponding to the private key and/or the master key. As mentioned
above, symmetric key exchange/encryption techniques may be used instead
of public/private key encryption. In these embodiments, rather than
privately storing one key and providing a corresponding public key to
other devices, the devices may each be provided with a copy of the same
symmetric key to be used for encryption and to validate signatures. One
example of a symmetric key algorithm is the Advanced Encryption Standard
(AES), although the underlying principles of the invention are not
limited to any type of specific symmetric keys.

[0105] Using a symmetric key implementation, each device 101 enters into a
secure key exchange protocol to exchange a symmetric key with the IoT hub
110. A secure key provisioning protocol such as the Dynamic Symmetric Key
Provisioning Protocol (DSKPP) may be used to exchange the keys over a
secure communication channel (see, e.g., Request for Comments (RFC)
6063). However, the underlying principles of the invention are not
limited to any particular key provisioning protocol.

[0106] Once the symmetric keys have been exchanged, they may be used by
each device 101 and the IoT hub 110 to encrypt communications. Similarly,
the IoT hub 110 and IoT service 120 may perform a secure symmetric key
exchange and then use the exchanged symmetric keys to encrypt
communications. In one embodiment a new symmetric key is exchanged
periodically between the devices 101 and the hub 110 and between the hub
110 and the IoT service 120. In one embodiment, a new symmetric key is
exchanged with each new communication session between the devices 101,
the hub 110, and the service 120 (e.g., a new key is generated and
securely exchanged for each communication session). In one embodiment, if
the security module 1012 in the IoT hub is trusted, the service 120 could
negotiate a session key with the hub security module 1312 and then the
security module 1012 would negotiate a session key with each device 120.
Messages from the service 120 would then be decrypted and verified in the
hub security module 1012 before being re-encrypted for transmission to
the device 101.

[0107] In one embodiment, to prevent a compromise on the hub security
module 1012 a one-time (permanent) installation key may be negotiated
between the device 101 and service 120 at installation time. When sending
a message to a device 101 the service 120 could first encrypt/MAC with
this device installation key, then encrypt/MAC that with the hub's
session key. The hub 110 would then verify and extract the encrypted
device blob and send that to the device.

[0108] In one embodiment of the invention, a counter mechanism is
implemented to prevent replay attacks. For example, each successive
communication from the device 101 to the hub 110 (or vice versa) may be
assigned a continually increasing counter value. Both the hub 110 and
device 101 will track this value and verify that the value is correct in
each successive communication between the devices. The same techniques
may be implemented between the hub 110 and the service 120. Using a
counter in this manner would make it more difficult to spoof the
communication between each of the devices (because the counter value
would be incorrect). However, even without this a shared installation key
between the service and device would prevent network (hub) wide attacks
to all devices.

[0109] In one embodiment, when using public/private key encryption, the
IoT hub 110 uses its private key to decrypt the IoT hub packet and
generate the encrypted IoT device packet, which it transmits to the
associated IoT device 101. The IoT device 101 then uses its private key
to decrypt the IoT device packet to generate the command/data originated
from the IoT service 120. It may then process the data and/or execute the
command. Using symmetric encryption, each device would encrypt and
decrypt with the shared symmetric key. If either case, each transmitting
device may also sign the message with it's private key so that the
receiving device can verify it's authenticity.

[0110] A different set of keys may be used to encrypt communication from
the IoT device 101 to the IoT hub 110 and to the IoT service 120. For
example, using a public/private key arrangement, in one embodiment, the
security logic 1002 on the IoT device 101 uses the public key of the IoT
hub 110 to encrypt data packets sent to the IoT hub 110. The security
logic 1012 on the IoT hub 110 may then decrypt the data packets using the
IoT hub's private key. Similarly, the security logic 1002 on the IoT
device 101 and/or the security logic 1012 on the IoT hub 110 may encrypt
data packets sent to the IoT service 120 using the public key of the IoT
service 120 (which may then be decrypted by the security logic 1013 on
the IoT service 120 using the service's private key). Using symmetric
keys, the device 101 and hub 110 may share a symmetric key while the hub
and service 120 may share a different symmetric key.

[0111] While certain specific details are set forth above in the
description above, it should be noted that the underlying principles of
the invention may be implemented using various different encryption
techniques. For example, while some embodiments discussed above use
asymmetric public/private key pairs, an alternate embodiment may use
symmetric keys securely exchanged between the various IoT devices
101-102, IoT hubs 110, and the IoT service 120. Moreover, in some
embodiments, the data/command itself is not encrypted, but a key is used
to generate a signature over the data/command (or other data structure).
The recipient may then use its key to validate the signature.

[0112] As illustrated in FIG. 11, in one embodiment, the secure key
storage on each IoT device 101 is implemented using a programmable
subscriber identity module (SIM) 1101. In this embodiment, the IoT device
101 may initially be provided to the end user with an un-programmed SIM
card 1101 seated within a SIM interface 1100 on the IoT device 101. In
order to program the SIM with a set of one or more encryption keys, the
user takes the programmable SIM card 1101 out of the SIM interface 500
and inserts it into a SIM programming interface 1102 on the IoT hub 110.
Programming logic 1125 on the IoT hub then securely programs the SIM card
1101 to register/pair the IoT device 101 with the IoT hub 110 and IoT
service 120. In one embodiment, a public/private key pair may be randomly
generated by the programming logic 1125 and the public key of the pair
may then be stored in the IoT hub's secure storage device 411 while the
private key may be stored within the programmable SIM 1101. In addition,
the programming logic 525 may store the public keys of the IoT hub 110,
the IoT service 120, and/or any other IoT devices 101 on the SIM card
1401 (to be used by the security logic 1302 on the IoT device 101 to
encrypt outgoing data). Once the SIM 1101 is programmed, the new IoT
device 101 may be provisioned with the IoT Service 120 using the SIM as a
secure identifier (e.g., using existing techniques for registering a
device using a SIM). Following provisioning, both the IoT hub 110 and the
IoT service 120 will securely store a copy of the IoT device's public key
to be used when encrypting communication with the IoT device 101.

[0113] The techniques described above with respect to FIG. 11 provide
enormous flexibility when providing new IoT devices to end users. Rather
than requiring a user to directly register each SIM with a particular
service provider upon sale/purchase (as is currently done), the SIM may
be programmed directly by the end user via the IoT hub 110 and the
results of the programming may be securely communicated to the IoT
service 120. Consequently, new IoT devices 101 may be sold to end users
from online or local retailers and later securely provisioned with the
IoT service 120.

[0114] While the registration and encryption techniques are described
above within the specific context of a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module),
the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to a "SIM"
device. Rather, the underlying principles of the invention may be
implemented using any type of device having secure storage for storing a
set of encryption keys. Moreover, while the embodiments above include a
removable SIM device, in one embodiment, the SIM device is not removable
but the IoT device itself may be inserted within the programming
interface 1102 of the IoT hub 110.

[0115] In one embodiment, rather than requiring the user to program the
SIM (or other device), the SIM is pre-programmed into the IoT device 101,
prior to distribution to the end user. In this embodiment, when the user
sets up the IoT device 101, various techniques described herein may be
used to securely exchange encryption keys between the IoT hub 110/IoT
service 120 and the new IoT device 101.

[0116] For example, as illustrated in FIG. 12A each IoT device 101 or SIM
401 may be packaged with a barcode or QR code 1501 uniquely identifying
the IoT device 101 and/or SIM 1001. In one embodiment, the barcode or QR
code 1201 comprises an encoded representation of the public key for the
IoT device 101 or SIM 1001. Alternatively, the barcode or QR code 1201
may be used by the IoT hub 110 and/or IoT service 120 to identify or
generate the public key (e.g., used as a pointer to the public key which
is already stored in secure storage). The barcode or QR code 601 may be
printed on a separate card (as shown in FIG. 12A) or may be printed
directly on the IoT device itself. Regardless of where the barcode is
printed, in one embodiment, the IoT hub 110 is equipped with a barcode
reader 206 for reading the barcode and providing the resulting data to
the security logic 1012 on the IoT hub 110 and/or the security logic 1013
on the IoT service 120. The security logic 1012 on the IoT hub 110 may
then store the public key for the IoT device within its secure key
storage 1011 and the security logic 1013 on the IoT service 120 may store
the public key within its secure storage 1021 (to be used for subsequent
encrypted communication).

[0117] In one embodiment, the data contained in the barcode or QR code
1201 may also be captured via a user device 135 (e.g., such as an iPhone
or Android device) with an installed IoT app or browser-based applet
designed by the IoT service provider. Once captured, the barcode data may
be securely communicated to the IoT service 120 over a secure connection
(e.g., such as a secure sockets layer (SSL) connection). The barcode data
may also be provided from the client device 135 to the IoT hub 110 over a
secure local connection (e.g., over a local WiFi or Bluetooth LE
connection).

[0118] The security logic 1002 on the IoT device 101 and the security
logic 1012 on the IoT hub 110 may be implemented using hardware,
software, firmware or any combination thereof. For example, in one
embodiment, the security logic 1002, 1012 is implemented within the chips
used for establishing the local communication channel 130 between the IoT
device 101 and the IoT hub 110 (e.g., the Bluetooth LE chip if the local
channel 130 is Bluetooth LE). Regardless of the specific location of the
security logic 1002, 1012, in one embodiment, the security logic 1002,
1012 is designed to establish a secure execution environment for
executing certain types of program code. This may be implemented, for
example, by using TrustZone technology (available on some ARM processors)
and/or Trusted Execution Technology (designed by Intel). Of course, the
underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular
type of secure execution technology.

[0119] In one embodiment, the barcode or QR code 1501 may be used to pair
each IoT device 101 with the IoT hub 110. For example, rather than using
the standard wireless pairing process currently used to pair Bluetooth LE
devices, a pairing code embedded within the barcode or QR code 1501 may
be provided to the IoT hub 110 to pair the IoT hub with the corresponding
IoT device.

[0120] FIG. 12B illustrates one embodiment in which the barcode reader 206
on the IoT hub 110 captures the barcode/QR code 1201 associated with the
IoT device 101. As mentioned, the barcode/QR code 1201 may be printed
directly on the IoT device 101 or may be printed on a separate card
provided with the IoT device 101. In either case, the barcode reader 206
reads the pairing code from the barcode/QR code 1201 and provides the
pairing code to the local communication module 1280. In one embodiment,
the local communication module 1280 is a Bluetooth LE chip and associated
software, although the underlying principles of the invention are not
limited to any particular protocol standard. Once the pairing code is
received, it is stored in a secure storage containing pairing data 1285
and the IoT device 101 and IoT hub 110 are automatically paired. Each
time the IoT hub is paired with a new IoT device in this manner, the
pairing data for that pairing is stored within the secure storage 685. In
one embodiment, once the local communication module 1280 of the IoT hub
110 receives the pairing code, it may use the code as a key to encrypt
communications over the local wireless channel with the IoT device 101.

[0121] Similarly, on the IoT device 101 side, the local communication
module 1590 stores pairing data within a local secure storage device 1595
indicating the pairing with the IoT hub. The pairing data 1295 may
include the pre-programmed pairing code identified in the barcode/QR code
1201. The pairing data 1295 may also include pairing data received from
the local communication module 1280 on the IoT hub 110 required for
establishing a secure local communication channel (e.g., an additional
key to encrypt communication with the IoT hub 110).

[0122] Thus, the barcode/QR code 1201 may be used to perform local pairing
in a far more secure manner than current wireless pairing protocols
because the pairing code is not transmitted over the air. In addition, in
one embodiment, the same barcode/QR code 1201 used for pairing may be
used to identify encryption keys to build a secure connection from the
IoT device 101 to the IoT hub 110 and from the IoT hub 110 to the IoT
service 120.

[0123] A method for programming a SIM card in accordance with one
embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 13. The method may be
implemented within the system architecture described above, but is not
limited to any particular system architecture.

[0124] At 1301, a user receives a new IoT device with a blank SIM card
and, at 1602, the user inserts the blank SIM card into an IoT hub. At
1303, the user programs the blank SIM card with a set of one or more
encryption keys. For example, as mentioned above, in one embodiment, the
IoT hub may randomly generate a public/private key pair and store the
private key on the SIM card and the public key in its local secure
storage. In addition, at 1304, at least the public key is transmitted to
the IoT service so that it may be used to identify the IoT device and
establish encrypted communication with the IoT device. As mentioned
above, in one embodiment, a programmable device other than a "SIM" card
may be used to perform the same functions as the SIM card in the method
shown in FIG. 13.

[0125] A method for integrating a new IoT device into a network is
illustrated in FIG. 14. The method may be implemented within the system
architecture described above, but is not limited to any particular system
architecture.

[0126] At 1401, a user receives a new IoT device to which an encryption
key has been pre-assigned. At 1402, the key is securely provided to the
IoT hub. As mentioned above, in one embodiment, this involves reading a
barcode associated with the IoT device to identify the public key of a
public/private key pair assigned to the device. The barcode may be read
directly by the IoT hub or captured via a mobile device via an app or
bowser. In an alternate embodiment, a secure communication channel such
as a Bluetooth LE channel, a near field communication (NFC) channel or a
secure WiFi channel may be established between the IoT device and the IoT
hub to exchange the key. Regardless of how the key is transmitted, once
received, it is stored in the secure keystore of the IoT hub device. As
mentioned above, various secure execution technologies may be used on the
IoT hub to store and protect the key such as Secure Enclaves, Trusted
Execution Technology (TXT), and/or Trustzone. In addition, at 803, the
key is securely transmitted to the IoT service which stores the key in
its own secure keystore. It may then use the key to encrypt communication
with the IoT device. One again, the exchange may be implemented using a
certificate/signed key. Within the hub 110 it is particularly important
to prevent modification/addition/ removal of the stored keys.

[0127] A method for securely communicating commands/data to an IoT device
using public/private keys is illustrated in FIG. 15. The method may be
implemented within the system architecture described above, but is not
limited to any particular system architecture.

[0128] At 1501, the IoT service encrypts the data/commands using the IoT
device public key to create an IoT device packet. It then encrypts the
IoT device packet using IoT hub's public key to create the IoT hub packet
(e.g., creating an IoT hub wrapper around the IoT device packet). At
1502, the IoT service transmits the IoT hub packet to the IoT hub. At
1503, the IoT hub decrypts the IoT hub packet using the IoT hub's private
key to generate the IoT device packet. At 1504 it then transmits the IoT
device packet to the IoT device which, at 1505, decrypts the IoT device
packet using the IoT device private key to generate the data/commands. At
1506, the IoT device processes the data/commands.

[0129] In an embodiment which uses symmetric keys, a symmetric key
exchange may be negotiated between each of the devices (e.g., each device
and the hub and between the hub and the service). Once the key exchange
is complete, each transmitting device encrypts and/or signs each
transmission using the symmetric key before transmitting data to the
receiving device.

Apparatus and Method for Establishing Secure Communication Channels in an
Internet of Things (I/O) System

[0130] In one embodiment of the invention, encryption and decryption of
data is performed between the IoT service 120 and each IoT device 101,
regardless of the intermediate devices used to support the communication
channel (e.g., such as the user's mobile device 611 and/or the IoT hub
110). One embodiment which communicates via an IoT hub 110 is illustrated
in FIG. 16A and another embodiment which does not require an IoT hub is
illustrated in FIG. 16B.

[0131] Turning first to FIG. 16A, the IoT service 120 includes an
encryption engine 1660 which manages a set of "service session keys" 1650
and each IoT device 101 includes an encryption engine 1661 which manages
a set of "device session keys" 1651 for encrypting/decrypting
communication between the IoT device 101 and IoT service 120. The
encryption engines may rely on different hardware modules when performing
the security/encryption techniques described herein including a hardware
security module 1630-1631 for (among other things) generating a session
public/private key pair and preventing access to the private session key
of the pair and a key stream generation module 1640-1641 for generating a
key stream using a derived secret. In one embodiment, the service session
keys 1650 and the device session keys 1651 comprise related
public/private key pairs. For example, in one embodiment, the device
session keys 1651 on the IoT device 101 include a public key of the IoT
service 120 and a private key of the IoT device 101. As discussed in
detail below, in one embodiment, to establish a secure communication
session, the public/private session key pairs, 1650 and 1651, are used by
each encryption engine, 1660 and 1661, respectively, to generate the same
secret which is then used by the SKGMs 1640-1641 to generate a key stream
to encrypt and decrypt communication between the IoT service 120 and the
IoT device 101. Additional details associated with generation and use of
the secret in accordance with one embodiment of the invention are
provided below.

[0132] In FIG. 16A, once the secret has been generated using the keys
1650-1651, the client will always send messages to the IoT device 101
through the IoT service 120, as indicated by Clear transaction 1611.
"Clear" as used herein is meant to indicate that the underlying message
is not encrypted using the encryption techniques described herein.
However, as illustrated, in one embodiment, a secure sockets layer (SSL)
channel or other secure channel (e.g., an Internet Protocol Security
(IPSEC) channel) is established between the client device 611 and IoT
service 120 to protect the communication. The encryption engine 1660 on
the IoT service 120 then encrypts the message using the generated secret
and transmits the encrypted message to the IoT hub 110 at 1602. Rather
than using the secret to encrypt the message directly, in one embodiment,
the secret and a counter value are used to generate a key stream, which
is used to encrypt each message packet. Details of this embodiment are
described below with respect to FIG. 17.

[0133] As illustrated, an SSL connection or other secure channel may be
established between the IoT service 120 and the IoT hub 110. The IoT hub
110 (which does not have the ability to decrypt the message in one
embodiment) transmits the encrypted message to the IoT device at 1603
(e.g., over a Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) communication channel). The
encryption engine 1661 on the IoT device 101 may then decrypt the message
using the secret and process the message contents. In an embodiment which
uses the secret to generate a key stream, the encryption engine 1661 may
generate the key stream using the secret and a counter value and then use
the key stream for decryption of the message packet.

[0134] The message itself may comprise any form of communication between
the IoT service 120 and IoT device 101. For example, the message may
comprise a command packet instructing the IoT device 101 to perform a
particular function such as taking a measurement and reporting the result
back to the client device 611 or may include configuration data to
configure the operation of the IoT device 101.

[0135] If a response is required, the encryption engine 1661 on the IoT
device 101 uses the secret or a derived key stream to encrypt the
response and transmits the encrypted response to the IoT hub 110 at 1604,
which forwards the response to the IoT service 120 at 1605. The
encryption engine 1660 on the IoT service 120 then decrypts the response
using the secret or a derived key stream and transmits the decrypted
response to the client device 611 at 1606 (e.g., over the SSL or other
secure communication channel).

[0136] FIG. 16B illustrates an embodiment which does not require an IoT
hub. Rather, in this embodiment, communication between the IoT device 101
and IoT service 120 occurs through the client device 611 (e.g., as in the
embodiments described above with respect to FIGS. 6-9B). In this
embodiment, to transmit a message to the IoT device 101 the client device
611 transmits an unencrypted version of the message to the IoT service
120 at 1611. The encryption engine 1660 encrypts the message using the
secret or the derived key stream and transmits the encrypted message back
to the client device 611 at 1612. The client device 611 then forwards the
encrypted message to the IoT device 101 at 1613, and the encryption
engine 1661 decrypts the message using the secret or the derived key
stream. The IoT device 101 may then process the message as described
herein. If a response is required, the encryption engine 1661 encrypts
the response using the secret and transmits the encrypted response to the
client device 611 at 1614, which forwards the encrypted response to the
IoT service 120 at 1615. The encryption engine 1660 then decrypts the
response and transmits the decrypted response to the client device 611 at
1616.

[0137] FIG. 17 illustrates a key exchange and key stream generation which
may initially be performed between the IoT service 120 and the IoT device
101. In one embodiment, this key exchange may be performed each time the
IoT service 120 and IoT device 101 establish a new communication session.
Alternatively, the key exchange may be performed and the exchanged
session keys may be used for a specified period of time (e.g., a day, a
week, etc). While no intermediate devices are shown in FIG. 17 for
simplicity, communication may occur through the IoT hub 110 and/or the
client device 611.

[0138] In one embodiment, the encryption engine 1660 of the IoT service
120 sends a command to the HSM 1630 (e.g., which may be such as a Cloud
HSM offered by Amazon.RTM.) to generate a session public/private key
pair. The HSM 1630 may subsequently prevent access to the private session
key of the pair. Similarly, the encryption engine on the IoT device 101
may transmit a command to the HSM 1631 (e.g., such as an Atecc508 HSM
from Atmel Corporation.RTM.) which generates a session public/private key
pair and prevents access to the session private key of the pair. Of
course, the underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any
specific type of encryption engine or manufacturer.

[0139] In one embodiment, the IoT service 120 transmits its session public
key generated using the HSM 1630 to the IoT device 101 at 1701. The IoT
device uses its HSM 1631 to generate its own session public/private key
pair and, at 1702, transmits its public key of the pair to the IoT
service 120. In one embodiment, the encryption engines 1660-1661 use an
Elliptic curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH) protocol, which is an anonymous key
agreement that allows two parties with an elliptic curve public-private
key pair, to establish a shared secret. In one embodiment, using these
techniques, at 1703, the encryption engine 1660 of the IoT service 120
generates the secret using the IoT device session public key and its own
session private key. Similarly, at 1704, the encryption engine 1661 of
the IoT device 101 independently generates the same secret using the IoT
service 120 session public key and its own session private key. More
specifically, in one embodiment, the encryption engine 1660 on the IoT
service 120 generates the secret according to the formula secret=IoT
device session pub key*IoT service session private key, where `*` means
that the IoT device session public key is point-multiplied by the IoT
service session private key. The encryption engine 1661 on the IoT device
101 generates the secret according to the formula secret=IoT service
session pub key*IoT device session private key, where the IoT service
session public key is point multiplied by the IoT device session private
key. In the end, the IoT service 120 and IoT device 101 have both
generated the same secret to be used to encrypt communication as
described below. In one embodiment, the encryption engines 1660-1661 rely
on a hardware module such as the KSGMs 1640-1641 respectively to perform
the above operations for generating the secret.

[0140] Once the secret has been determined, it may be used by the
encryption engines 1660 and 1661 to encrypt and decrypt data directly.
Alternatively, in one embodiment, the encryption engines 1660-1661 send
commands to the KSGMs 1640-1641 to generate a new key stream using the
secret to encrypt/decrypt each data packet (i.e., a new key stream data
structure is generated for each packet). In particular, one embodiment of
the key stream generation module 1640-1641 implements a Galois/Counter
Mode (GCM) in which a counter value is incremented for each data packet
and is used in combination with the secret to generate the key stream.
Thus, to transmit a data packet to the IoT service 120, the encryption
engine 1661 of the IoT device 101 uses the secret and the current counter
value to cause the KSGMs 1640-1641 to generate a new key stream and
increment the counter value for generating the next key stream. The
newly-generated key stream is then used to encrypt the data packet prior
to transmission to the IoT service 120. In one embodiment, the key stream
is XORed with the data to generate the encrypted data packet. In one
embodiment, the IoT device 101 transmits the counter value with the
encrypted data packet to the IoT service 120. The encryption engine 1660
on the IoT service then communicates with the KSGM 1640 which uses the
received counter value and the secret to generate the key stream (which
should be the same key stream because the same secret and counter value
are used) and uses the generated key stream to decrypt the data packet.

[0141] In one embodiment, data packets transmitted from the IoT service
120 to the IoT device 101 are encrypted in the same manner. Specifically,
a counter is incremented for each data packet and used along with the
secret to generate a new key stream. The key stream is then used to
encrypt the data (e.g., performing an XOR of the data and the key stream)
and the encrypted data packet is transmitted with the counter value to
the IoT device 101. The encryption engine 1661 on the IoT device 101 then
communicates with the KSGM 1641 which uses the counter value and the
secret to generate the same key stream which is used to decrypt the data
packet. Thus, in this embodiment, the encryption engines 1660-1661 use
their own counter values to generate a key stream to encrypt data and use
the counter values received with the encrypted data packets to generate a
key stream to decrypt the data.

[0142] In one embodiment, each encryption engine 1660-1661 keeps track of
the last counter value it received from the other and includes sequencing
logic to detect whether a counter value is received out of sequence or if
the same counter value is received more than once. If a counter value is
received out of sequence, or if the same counter value is received more
than once, this may indicate that a replay attack is being attempted. In
response, the encryption engines 1660-1661 may disconnect from the
communication channel and/or may generate a security alert.

[0143] FIG. 18 illustrates an exemplary encrypted data packet employed in
one embodiment of the invention comprising a 4-byte counter value 1800, a
variable-sized encrypted data field 1801, and a 6-byte tag 1802. In one
embodiment, the tag 1802 comprises a checksum value to validate the
decrypted data (once it has been decrypted).

[0144] As mentioned, in one embodiment, the session public/private key
pairs 1650-1651 exchanged between the IoT service 120 and IoT device 101
may be generated periodically and/or in response to the initiation of
each new communication session.

[0145] One embodiment of the invention implements additional techniques
for authenticating sessions between the IoT service 120 and IoT device
101. In particular, in one embodiment, hierarchy of public/private key
pairs is used including a master key pair, a set of factory key pairs,
and a set of IoT service key pairs, and a set of IoT device key pairs. In
one embodiment, the master key pair comprises a root of trust for all of
the other key pairs and is maintained in a single, highly secure location
(e.g., under the control of the organization implementing the IoT systems
described herein). The master private key may be used to generate
signatures over (and thereby authenticate) various other key pairs such
as the factory key pairs. The signatures may then be verified using the
master public key. In one embodiment, each factory which manufactures IoT
devices is assigned its own factory key pair which may then be used to
authenticate IoT service keys and IoT device keys. For example, in one
embodiment, a factory private key is used to generate a signature over
IoT service public keys and IoT device public keys. These signature may
then be verified using the corresponding factory public key. Note that
these IoT service/device public keys are not the same as the "session"
public/private keys described above with respect to FIGS. 16A-B. The
session public/private keys described above are temporary (i.e.,
generated for a service/device session) while the IoT service/device key
pairs are permanent (i.e., generated at the factory).

[0146] With the foregoing relationships between master keys, factory keys,
service/device keys in mind, one embodiment of the invention performs the
following operations to provide additional layers of authentication and
security between the IoT service 120 and IoT device 101:

[0147] A. In one embodiment, the IoT service 120 initially generates a
message containing the following: [0148] 1. The IoT service's unique
ID: [0149] The IoT service's serial number; [0150] a Timestamp; [0151]
The ID of the factory key used to sign this unique ID; [0152] a Class of
the unique ID (i.e., a service); [0153] IoT service's public key [0154]
The signature over the unique ID. [0155] 2. The Factory Certificate
including: [0156] A timestamp [0157] The ID of the master key used to
sign the certificate [0158] The factory public key [0159] The signature
of the Factory Certificate [0160] 3. IoT service session public key (as
described above with respect to FIGS. 16A-B) [0161] 4. IoT service
session public key signature (e.g., signed with the IoT service's private
key)

[0162] B. In one embodiment, the message is sent to the IoT device on the
negotiation channel (described below). The IoT device parses the message
and: [0163] 1. Verifies the signature of the factory certificate (only
if present in the message payload) [0164] 2. Verifies the signature of
the unique ID using the key identified by the unique ID [0165] 3.
Verifies the IoT service session public key signature using the IoT
service's public key from the unique ID [0166] 4. Saves the IoT service's
public key as well as the IoT service's session public key [0167] 5.
Generates the IoT device session key pair

[0178] D. This message is sent back to the IoT service. The IoT service
parses the message and: [0179] 1. Verifies the signature of the unique
ID using the factory public key [0180] 2. Verifies the signature of the
session public keys using the IoT device's public key [0181] 3. Saves the
IoT device's session public key

[0182] E. The IoT service then generates a message containing a signature
of (IoT device session public key +IoT service session public key) signed
with the IoT service's key.

[0183] F The IoT device parses the message and: [0184] 1. Verifies the
signature of the session public keys using the IoT service's public key
[0185] 2. Generates the key stream from the IoT device session private
key and the IoT service's session public key [0186] 3. The IoT device
then sends a "messaging available" message.

[0187] G. The IoT service then does the following: [0188] 1. Generates
the key stream from the IoT service session private key and the IoT
device's session public key [0189] 2. Creates a new message on the
messaging channel which contains the following: [0190] Generates and
stores a random 2 byte value [0191] Set attribute message with the
boomerang attribute Id (discussed below) and the random value

[0192] H. The IoT device receives the message and: [0193] 1. Attempts to
decrypt the message [0194] 2. Emits an Update with the same value on the
indicated attribute Id

[0198] J. IoT device receives the message and sets his paired state to
true

[0199] While the above techniques are described with respect to an "IoT
service" and an "IoT device," the underlying principles of the invention
may be implemented to establish a secure communication channel between
any two devices including user client devices, servers, and Internet
services.

[0200] The above techniques are highly secure because the private keys are
never shared over the air (in contrast to current Bluetooth pairing
techniques in which a secret is transmitted from one party to the other).
An attacker listening to the entire conversation will only have the
public keys, which are insufficient to generate the shared secret. These
techniques also prevent a man-in-the-middle attack by exchanging signed
public keys. In addition, because GCM and separate counters are used on
each device, any kind of "replay attack" (where a man in the middle
captures the data and sends it again) is prevented. Some embodiments also
prevent replay attacks by using asymmetrical counters.

Techniques for Exchanging Data and Commands without Formally Pairing
Devices

[0201] GATT is an acronym for the Generic Attribute Profile, and it
defines the way that two Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) devices transfer
data back and forth. It makes use of a generic data protocol called the
Attribute Protocol (ATT), which is used to store Services,
Characteristics and related data in a simple lookup table using 16-bit
Characteristic IDs for each entry in the table. Note that while the
"characteristics" are sometimes referred to as "attributes."

[0202] On Bluetooth devices, the most commonly used characteristic is the
devices "name" (having characteristic ID 10752 (0.times.2A00)). For
example, a Bluetooth device may identify other Bluetooth devices within
its vicinity by reading the "Name" characteristic published by those
other Bluetooth devices using GATT. Thus, Bluetooth device have the
inherent ability to exchange data without formally pairing/bonding the
devices (note that "paring" and "bonding" are sometimes used
interchangeably; the remainder of this discussion will use the term
"pairing").

[0203] One embodiment of the invention takes advantage of this capability
to communicate with BTLE-enabled IoT devices without formally pairing
with these devices. Pairing with each individual IoT device would
extremely inefficient because of the amount of time required to pair with
each device and because only one paired connection may be established at
a time.

[0204] FIG. 19 illustrates one particular embodiment in which a Bluetooth
(BT) device 1910 establishes a network socket abstraction with a BT
communication module 1901 of an IoT device 101 without formally
establishing a paired BT connection. The BT device 1910 may be included
in an IoT hub 110 and/or a client device 611 such as shown in FIG. 16A.
As illustrated, the BT communication module 1901 maintains a data
structure containing a list of characteristic IDs, names associated with
those characteristic IDs and values for those characteristic IDs. The
value for each characteristic may be stored within a 20-byte buffer
identified by the characteristic ID in accordance with the current BT
standard. However, the underlying principles of the invention are not
limited to any particular buffer size.

[0205] In the example in FIG. 19, the "Name" characteristic is a
BT-defined characteristic which is assigned a specific value of "IoT
Device 14." One embodiment of the invention specifies a first set of
additional characteristics to be used for negotiating a secure
communication channel with the BT device 1910 and a second set of
additional characteristics to be used for encrypted communication with
the BT device 1910. In particular, a "negotiation write" characteristic,
identified by characteristic ID <65532> in the illustrated example,
may be used to transmit outgoing negotiation messages and the
"negotiation read" characteristic, identified by characteristic ID
<65533> may be used to receive incoming negotiation messages. The
"negotiation messages" may include messages used by the BT device 1910
and the BT communication module 1901 to establish a secure communication
channel as described herein. By way of example, in FIG. 17, the IoT
device 101 may receive the IoT service session public key 1701 via the
"negotiation read" characteristic <65533>. The key 1701 may be
transmitted from the IoT service 120 to a BTLE-enabled IoT hub 110 or
client device 611 which may then use GATT to write the key 1701 to the
negotiation read value buffer identified by characteristic ID
<65533>. IoT device application logic 1902 may then read the key
1701 from the value buffer identified by characteristic ID <65533>
and process it as described above (e.g., using it to generate a secret
and using the secret to generate a key stream, etc).

[0206] If the key 1701 is greater than 20 bytes (the maximum buffer size
in some current implementations), then it may be written in 20-byte
portions. For example, the first 20 bytes may be written by the BT
communication module 1903 to characteristic ID <65533> and read by
the IoT device application logic 1902, which may then write an
acknowledgement message to the negotiation write value buffer identified
by characteristic ID <65532>. Using GATT, the BT communication
module 1903 may read this acknowledgement from characteristic ID
<65532> and responsively write the next 20 bytes of the key 1701 to
the negotiation read value buffer identified by characteristic ID
<65533>. In this manner, a network socket abstraction defined by
characteristic IDs <65532> and <65533> is established for
exchanging negotiation messages used to establish a secure communication
channel.

[0207] In one embodiment, once the secure communication channel is
established, a second network socket abstraction is established using
characteristic ID <65534> (for transmitting encrypted data packets
from IoT device 101) and characteristic ID <65533> (for receiving
encrypted data packets by IoT device). That is, when BT communication
module 1903 has an encrypted data packet to transmit (e.g., such as
encrypted message 1603 in FIG. 16A), it starts writing the encrypted data
packet, 20 bytes at a time, using the message read value buffer
identified by characteristic ID <65533>. The IoT device application
logic 1902 will then read the encrypted data packet, 20 bytes at a time,
from the read value buffer, sending acknowledgement messages to the BT
communication module 1903 as needed via the write value buffer identified
by characteristic ID <65532>.

[0208] In one embodiment, the commands of GET, SET, and UPDATE described
below are used to exchange data and commands between the two BT
communication modules 1901 and 1903. For example, the BT communication
module 1903 may send a packet identifying characteristic ID <65533>
and containing the SET command to write into the value field/buffer
identified by characteristic ID <65533> which may then be read by
the IoT device application logic 1902. To retrieve data from the IoT
device 101, the BT communication module 1903 may transmit a GET command
directed to the value field/buffer identified by characteristic ID
<65534>. In response to the GET command, the BT communication
module 1901 may transmit an UPDATE packet to the BT communication module
1903 containing the data from the value field/buffer identified by
characteristic ID <65534>. In addition, UPDATE packets may be
transmitted automatically, in response to changes in a particular
attribute on the IoT device 101. For example, if the IoT device is
associated with a lighting system and the user turns on the lights, then
an UPDATE packet may be sent to reflect the change to the on/off
attribute associated with the lighting application.

[0209] FIG. 20 illustrates exemplary packet formats used for GET, SET, and
UPDATE in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. In one
embodiment, these packets are transmitted over the message write
<65534> and message read <65533> channels following
negotiation. In the GET packet 2001, a first 1-byte field includes a
value (0.times.10) which identifies the packet as a GET packet. A second
1-byte field includes a request ID, which uniquely identifies the current
GET command (i.e., identifies the current transaction with which the GET
command is associated). For example, each instance of a GET command
transmitted from a service or device may be assigned a different request
ID. This may be done, for example, by incrementing a counter and using
the counter value as the request ID. However, the underlying principles
of the invention are not limited to any particular manner for setting the
request ID.

[0210] A 2-byte attribute ID identifies the application-specific attribute
to which the packet is directed. For example, if the GET command is being
sent to IoT device 101 illustrated in FIG. 19, the attribute ID may be
used to identify the particular application-specific value being
requested. Returning to the above example, the GET command may be
directed to an application-specific attribute ID such as power status of
a lighting system, which comprises a value identifying whether the lights
are powered on or off (e.g., 1=on, 0=off). If the IoT device 101 is a
security apparatus associated with a door, then the value field may
identify the current status of the door (e.g., 1=opened, 0=closed). In
response to the GET command, a response may be transmitting containing
the current value identified by the attribute ID.

[0211] The SET packet 2002 and UPDATE packet 2003 illustrated in FIG. 20
also include a first 1-byte field identifying the type of packet (i.e.,
SET and UPDATE), a second 1-byte field containing a request ID, and a
2-byte attribute ID field identifying an application-defined attribute.
In addition, the SET packet includes a 2-byte length value identifying
the length of data contained in an n-byte value data field. The value
data field may include a command to be executed on the IoT device and/or
configuration data to configure the operation of the IoT device in some
manner (e.g., to set a desired parameter, to power down the IoT device,
etc). For example, if the IoT device 101 controls the speed of a fan, the
value field may reflect the current fan speed.

[0212] The UPDATE packet 2003 may be transmitted to provide an update of
the results of the SET command. The UPDATE packet 2003 includes a 2-byte
length value field to identify the length of the n-byte value data field
which may include data related to the results of the SET command. In
addition, a 1-byte update state field may identify the current state of
the variable being updated. For example, if the SET command attempted to
turn off a light controlled by the IoT device, the update state field may
indicate whether the light was successfully turned off.

[0213] FIG. 21 illustrates an exemplary sequence of transactions between
the IoT service 120 and an IoT device 101 involving the SET and UPDATE
commands. Intermediary devices such as the IoT hub and the user's mobile
device are not shown to avoid obscuring the underlying principles of the
invention. At 2101, the SET command 2101 is transmitted form the IoT
service to the IoT device 101 and received by the BT communication module
1901 which responsively updates the GATT value buffer identified by the
characteristic ID at 2102. The SET command is read from the value buffer
by the low power microcontroller (MCU) 200 at 2103 (or by program code
being executed on the low power MCU such as IoT device application logic
1902 shown in FIG. 19). At 2104, the MCU 200 or program code performs an
operation in response to the SET command. For example, the SET command
may include an attribute ID specifying a new configuration parameter such
as a new temperature or may include a state value such as on/off (to
cause the IoT device to enter into an "on" or a low power state). Thus,
at 2104, the new value is set in the IoT device and an UPDATE command is
returned at 2105 and the actual value is updated in a GATT value field at
2106. In some cases, the actual value will be equal to the desired value.
In other cases, the updated value may be different (i.e., because it may
take time for the IoT device 101 to update certain types of values).
Finally, at 2107, the UPDATE command is transmitted back to the IoT
service 120 containing the actual value from the GATT value field.

[0214] FIG. 22 illustrates a method for implementing a secure
communication channel between an IoT service and an IoT device in
accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The method may be
implemented within the context of the network architectures described
above but is not limited to any specific architecture.

[0215] At 2201, the IoT service creates an encrypted channel to
communicate with the IoT hub using elliptic curve digital signature
algorithm (ECDSA) certificates. At 2202, the IoT service encrypts
data/commands in IoT device packets using the a session secret to create
an encrypted device packet. As mentioned above, the session secret may be
independently generated by the IoT device and the IoT service. At 2203,
the IoT service transmits the encrypted device packet to the IoT hub over
the encrypted channel. At 2204, without decrypting, the IoT hub passes
the encrypted device packet to the IoT device. At 22-5, the IoT device
uses the session secret to decrypt the encrypted device packet. As
mentioned, in one embodiment this may be accomplished by using the secret
and a counter value (provided with the encrypted device packet) to
generate a key stream and then using the key stream to decrypt the
packet. At 2206, the IoT device then extracts and processes the data
and/or commands contained within the device packet.

[0216] Thus, using the above techniques, bi-directional, secure network
socket abstractions may be established between two BT-enabled devices
without formally pairing the BT devices using standard pairing
techniques. While these techniques are described above with respect to an
IoT device 101 communicating with an IoT service 120, the underlying
principles of the invention may be implemented to negotiate and establish
a secure communication channel between any two BT-enabled devices.

[0217] FIGS. 23A-C illustrate a detailed method for pairing devices in
accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The method may be
implemented within the context of the system architectures described
above, but is not limited to any specific system architectures.

[0218] At 2301, the IoT Service creates a packet containing serial number
and public key of the IoT Service. At 2302, the IoT Service signs the
packet using the factory private key. At 2303, the IoT Service sends the
packet over an encrypted channel to the IoT hub and at 2304 the IoT hub
forwards the packet to IoT device over an unencrypted channel. At 2305,
the IoT device verifies the signature of packet and, at 2306, the IoT
device generates a packet containing the serial number and public key of
the IoT Device. At 2307, the IoT device signs the packet using the
factory private key and at 2308, the IoT device sends the packet over the
unencrypted channel to the IoT hub.

[0219] At 2309, the IoT hub forwards the packet to the IoT service over an
encrypted channel and at 2310, the IoT Service verifies the signature of
the packet. At 2311, the IoT Service generates a session key pair, and at
2312 the IoT Service generates a packet containing the session public
key. The IoT Service then signs the packet with IoT Service private key
at 2313 and, at 2314, the IoT Service sends the packet to the IoT hub
over the encrypted channel.

[0220] Turning to FIG. 23B, the IoT hub forwards the packet to the IoT
device over the unencrypted channel at 2315 and, at 2316, the IoT device
verifies the signature of packet. At 2317 the IoT device generates
session key pair (e.g., using the techniques described above), and, at
2318, an IoT device packet is generated containing the IoT device session
public key. At 2319, the IoT device signs the IoT device packet with IoT
device private key. At 2320, the IoT device sends the packet to the IoT
hub over the unencrypted channel and, at 2321, the IoT hub forwards the
packet to the IoT service over an encrypted channel.

[0221] At 2322, the IoT service verifies the signature of the packet
(e.g., using the IoT device public key) and, at 2323, the IoT service
uses the IoT service private key and the IoT device public key to
generate the session secret (as described in detail above). At 2324, the
IoT device uses the IoT device private key and IoT service public key to
generate the session secret (again, as described above) and, at 2325, the
IoT device generates a random number and encrypts it using the session
secret. At 2326, the IoT service sends the encrypted packet to IoT hub
over the encrypted channel. At 2327, the IoT hub forwards the encrypted
packet to the IoT device over the unencrypted channel. At 2328, the IoT
device decrypts the packet using the session secret.

[0222] Turning to FIG. 23C, the IoT device re-encrypts the packet using
the session secret at 2329 and, at 2330, the IoT device sends the
encrypted packet to the IoT hub over the unencrypted channel. At 2331,
the IoT hub forwards the encrypted packet to the IoT service over the
encrypted channel. The IoT service decrypts the packet using the session
secret at 2332. At 2333 the IoT service verifies that the random number
matches the random number it sent. The IoT service then sends a packet
indicating that pairing is complete at 2334 and all subsequent messages
are encrypted using the session secret at 2335.

System and Method for a Single-piece Internet of Things (I/O) Security
Sensor

[0223] One embodiment of the invention comprises a single-piece Internet
of Things (IoT) security sensor which addresses the limitations of
existing wireless door/window sensors (e.g., difficulty with positioning,
bulkiness, false triggers, etc). FIG. 24 illustrates a system
architecture with three such IoT devices 2401-2403 coupled to various
doors and/or windows within a user's home or business. The interaction
between the various system components may occur as described above. For
example, the illustrated architecture includes an IoT hub 2405 which
communicates with the IoT devices 2401-2403 over low power wireless
communication channels such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) channels and
which, in one embodiment, establishes a communication channel with the
IoT cloud service 2420.

[0224] As illustrated, the IoT cloud service 2420 may include an IoT
device database 2430 comprising database records for each of the IoT
devices 2401-2403 and IoT hubs 2405 configured in the system (which may
include a plurality of IoT hubs and devices not shown in FIG. 24). IoT
device management logic 2415 creates the database records for new IoT
devices and updates the IoT device records in response to data
transmitted by each of the IoT devices 2401-2403. The IoT device
management logic 2415 may also implement the various security/encryption
functions described above to add new devices to the system (e.g., using
QR codes/barcodes) and use keys to encrypt communications and/or generate
digital signatures when communicating with the IoT devices 2401-2403. In
one embodiment, a user may access information related to each of the
devices 2401-2403 and/or control the devices via an app installed on a
user device 2410 which may be a smartphone device such as an Android.RTM.
device or iPhone.RTM.. In addition, the user may access and control the
IoT devices via a browser or application installed on a desktop or laptop
computer. In one embodiment, control signals transmitted from the app or
application on the user device 2410 are passed to the IoT cloud service
2420 over the Internet 2422, then forwarded from the IoT clour service
2420 to the IoT hub 2405 and from the IoT hub 2405 to one or more of the
IoT devices 2401-2403. Of course, the underlying principles of the
invention are not limited to any particular manner in which the user
accesses/controls the various IoT devices 2401-2403.

[0225] As mentioned, in one embodiment, the IoT devices 2401-2403 comprise
single-piece security devices configured on doors and/or windows. FIG. 25
illustrates an exemplary IoT device 2401 which includes a radio
microcontroller 2510 for reporting security status to the IoT hub 2405
(e.g., using a low power wireless link such as BTLE as described above),
an accelerometer 2502 for detecting motion, and a proximity sensor and
logic 2505 for generating and sensing electromagnetic radiation reflected
from a nearby object. In one embodiment, the electromagnetic radiation is
infrared (IR) radiation (i.e., within the IR spectrum). However, various
other forms of electromagnetic radiation may be employed while complying
with the underlying principles of the invention.

[0226] In another embodiment, the proximity sensor 2505 comprises a
magnetometer to detect the current door position. For example, the
magnetometer may be configured to detect the orientation of the door
relative to the direction of the Earth's magnetic field. The magnetometer
may be calibrated by taking readings when the door is in a closed
position and in an open position. The current magnetometer reading may
then be compared to the calibrated readings to determine whether the door
is currently open or closed.

[0227] In the example shown in FIG. 25, the IoT device 2401 is affixed to
the inner portion of a door 2520 facing the doorjamb 2521. In one
embodiment, for example, it may be sufficiently small to fit between the
door and the doorjamb (the vertical portion of the frame onto which a
door is secured). It should be noted, however, that this particular
positioning is not required for complying with the underlying principles
of the invention. Moreover, the underlying principles of the invention
may also be implemented on windows or on any other moveable objects
within a user's home or office.

[0228] In operation, when the door 2520 is still, the radio uC 2510 is
maintained in a very low power or OFF state to preserve battery life. In
one embodiment, when the door is moved, the accelerometer 2502 generates
an interrupt to wake the radio uC 2510 which then uses the proximity
sensor/logic 2505 to "see" if the doorjamb 2521 is still in front of it.
If it is not, then the proximity sensor may generate an alert signal
which the radio uC transmits to the IoT hub 2405.

[0229] In one embodiment, the proximity sensor/logic 2505 comprises an IR
transmitter for transmitting IR radiation and an IR detector for
detecting the IR radiation which reflects off of the doorjamb 2521. In
one embodiment, the proximity sensor/logic 2505 measures the intensity of
the reflected IR radiation. The proximity sensor/logic 2505 may then
compare the current IR readings with readings known to exist when the
door is closed (e.g., which may be collected via calibration as discussed
below). If the readings match (or are within a specified threshold), then
the proximity sensor/logic 2505 determines that the door is in the closed
position. If, however, the readings do not match (e.g., are outside of
the threshold), then the proximity sensor/logic 2505 determines that the
door is opened, and may generate an alarm condition via the radio uC
2510.

[0230] In one embodiment, the proximity sensor/logic 2505 includes
calibration logic to calibrate the IR readings to the "closed" position
of the door 2520. In one embodiment, after the IoT device 2401 is affixed
to the door, the user executes a calibration process via the app on the
user device 2410 which will ask the user to confirm when the door is in a
closed position. Once the user provides the indication, a command may be
sent to notify the proximity sensor 2505 which will record the readings.
These readings may then be compared against current readings as described
above to determine whether the door is currently opened or closed.

[0231] FIG. 26 illustrates one embodiment in which the IoT device 2401 is
positioned at the lower portion of a door 2520 between the internal
surface of the door 2520 and the doorjamb 2521. The IoT device 2401 of
this embodiment may use a right angled form factor such that only the
proximity sensor/logic 2505 is positioned between the door 2520 and
doorjamb 2521 while the remaining components of the IoT device 2401
(e.g., the radio uC and accelerometer 2502) are positioned on the face of
the door. This embodiment will allow the portion which sits between the
door 2520 and doorjamb 2521 to be as thin as possible (e.g., potentially
only a few millimeters) while the other components such as the wireless
radio uC (which may tend to be bulkier) do not interfere with the
movement of the door. Of course, the underlying principles of the
invention may include an IoT device 2401 in which all of the components
are sufficiently small to fit in a single package between the door 2520
and doorjamb 2521.

[0232] Moreover, it will be appreciated that the IoT device 2401 may be
placed in other positions such as the edge of the door furthest away from
the doorjamb 2521. In this embodiment, the proximity sensor/logic 2505
may take IR measurements between the edge of the door and the directly
adjacent portion of the door frame. Similarly, the IoT device 2401 may
also be placed on or near the edge of a window. In this embodiment, the
proximity sensor/logic 2505 will take IR measurements which are bounced
off of nearby structural objects such as the window frame or window sill.
Once again, a calibration process may be implemented to take measurements
in a closed and/or opened position and subsequent readings may be
compared with these measurements to determine whether the window is
opened or closed.

[0233] A variety of different types of sensors may be employed within or
coupled to the IoT device 2401 to sense the position of a door, window,
or other apparatus within the user's home or business. Several exemplary
embodiments are described below.

[0234] As illustrated in FIGS. 27A-B, another embodiment of the invention
includes a force sensing resistor (FSR) 2702 coupled to the inner side of
a door 2710. In this illustrated embodiment, the FSR 2702 is affixed to a
rubber bumper component 2701 which is itself affixed directly to the door
as shown. The FSR 2702 is communicatively attached to the IoT device 2703
via a set of FSR leads 2704 (e.g., a set of wires to communicate the
current force applied to the FSR 2702). Like the embodiment shown in FIG.
27, in this embodiment, the IoT device 2703 may have a right angled form
factor such that only the FSR sensor is positioned between the door 2710
and doorjamb while the remaining components of the IoT device 2703 (e.g.,
the radio uC and accelerometer 2502) are positioned on the face of the
door, as shown. The IoT device 2703 may include a radio module and a
small battery for power (as in the embodiments described above).

[0235] In an alternate embodiment, the FSR 2702 may be affixed to the
outer edge of the door 2710 rather than the inner edge of the door and
may also be coupled to the door frame (e.g., the doorjam 2521). The
underlying principles of the invention are not limited to any particular
attachment location for the IoT device 2703 and FSR 2702. Moreover, the
same basic principles may be applied to use the FSR 2702 on windows or
other devices in the user's home or business.

[0236] In the example shown in FIGS. 27A-B, the force sensing resistor
(FSR) 2702 is capable of detecting when inner side of door comes into
close proximity of the door frame. Over a short distance, the FSR 2702
provides a continuous measurement of the force being applied by the door
through the FSR to the door frame. As mentioned, one embodiment of the
FSR 2702 is affixed to a small rubber bumper 2701 that transmits the
force from the door, through the FSR, to the frame. Size and consistency
of the bumper 2701 may be varied to adapt to a variety of door gaps. In
response to a force applied to the FSR (e.g., as a result of the door
being closed), the FSR 2702 generates electrical signals which are
received and processed by the IoT device 2703 and/or transmitted through
to the IoT hub 2405 and IoT service 2420. For example, a different
resistance may be measured across the FSR 2702 for different levels of
applied force (i.e., resulting in a different amount of current, assuming
a consistent voltage). When a specified threshold force has been reached,
the IoT device 2703 (or the IoT hub 2405 or service 2420) may interpret
this to mean that the door is in a "closed" position. When a lower
threshold force is detected, the IoT device 2703, IoT hub 2405, or IoT
service 2420 may interpret this to mean that the door is only partially
opened (e.g., slightly ajar, thereby only partially depressing the FSR).
When no force is detected, the IoT device 2703, IoT hub 2410 and/or
service 2420 may conclude that the door is opened. Thus, using a sensor
which provides for a continuous measurement of force over a small dynamic
range such as the FSR 2702 allows for a more precise determination of the
position of the door (in contrast to existing security sensors which are
simply on or off). As in prior embodiments, the FSR 2702/IoT device 2703
may be implemented as a one-piece device which may be affixed entirely on
the door or door frame (as opposed to current styles of magnetic door
sensors that are two piece).

[0237] In one embodiment, the user may calibrate the FSR 2702/IoT device
2703 when initially installed. For example, through the app on the user
device 2410, the user may be asked to provide an indication of when the
door is fully closed, fully open, and ajar. Sensor readings may be taken
in each position and recorded by the IoT device 2703, IoT hub 2410 and/or
service 2420. These readings may then be compared against current
readings to determine the current status of the door. For example, if the
current reading is within a specified range of the recorded reading for
the door being closed, then the IoT device 2703, IoT hub 2410 and/or
service 2420 may determine that the door is currently closed. Similar
comparisons may be made for the open and ajar states.

[0238] Various mounting techniques may be employed including adhesives,
pressure fittings, elastics, or mounted brackets, depending on the form
factor and design goals. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 27A-B, for
example, an adhesive may be applied to the backing of the rubber bumper
to affix the FSR 2702 and IoT device 2703 to the door. One example of an
FSR that may be used is the FSR 402 Round Force Sensing Resistor
available from Digi-Key Electronics.

[0239] Another embodiment includes all of the features shown in FIGS.
27A-B but also includes a piezo electric vibration sensor added to the
package. For example, in one embodiment, the piezo electric vibration
sensor may be positioned beneath or integrated within the rubber bumper
2701. As with the FSR, electrical leads communicatively couple the piezo
electric vibration sensor to the IoT device 2703. In one embodiment, the
piezo electric vibration sensor is passive, generating a high voltage
when force, flexure, or vibration is applied without requiring an
external device to provide power. Thus, the vibration sensor may be
configured to wake up the radio microcontroller 2510 and other components
within the IoT device 2703 in response to vibration or motion, thereby
allowing these components to enter into a very low power state in the
absence of vibration or motion. The vibration sensor, for example, may be
triggered by knocks/impacts on the door, may work as a pressure/tactile
sensor, or may be configured as a simple accelerometer (such as
accelerometer 2502 in FIG. 25).

[0240] In one embodiment, the FSR 2702 in FIGS. 27A-B is replaced by a
strain gauge bonded to a flat spring. As the door closes and comes in
contact with the spring, the strain gage resistance changes in response
to the strain on the spring surface. The resistance change corresponds to
the spring flexure which, in turn, correlates to the spring angle and
therefore the door angle. The results of this embodiment are similar to
the FSR embodiment described above with the exception that a much larger
dynamic range for the door angle is available. However, strain gage
circuits require amplification to increase dynamic range and,
consequently, this design may tend to consume more power than the FSR
embodiments.

[0241] In another embodiment, the FSR 2702 sensor element in FIGS. 27A-B
is replaced by a combination piezo electric film and piezo resistive
film. The piezo electric film of this embodiment works as described above
with respect to the piezo electric vibration sensor, generating a high
voltage when force, flexure, or vibration is applied without requiring an
external device to provide power. However, the piezo resistive film
utilizes the piezo-resistive effect and has a variable resistance based
on force and flexure. In one embodiment, these two films may be used in a
similar manner to the flat spring/strain gage combination described
above. However, in another embodiment, the piezo electric/piezo resistive
film combination may be mounted inside the latch/bolt slot of the door
mechanism and communicatively coupled to the IoT device 2703 via a set of
conductors. Depending on whether the latch was locked and deforming the
sensor or unlatched and leaving the sensor free, the locked state of the
door may be determined from the generated electrical signals. In one
embodiment, mounting is performed on either the frame or the door. In
this embodiment, the films are adhered/secured to the surface near the
door latch and protrude into the latch path so that the latch motion
comes in contact with the films. As in prior embodiment, this embodiment
may be calibrated after installation so that the open and closed states
of the door are correlated with the corresponding resistance in the
piezo-resistive film.

[0242] Yet another embodiment retains the same or similar components as
the embodiment in FIGS. 27A-B but is mounted inside the door. Either
through retrofit or during assembly a small cavity may be created on the
inside (hinge mount) of the door or frame into which the sensor is placed
with only the FSR bumper extending beyond the plane of the surface. By
embedding the FSR sensor in this manner, the size and form factor become
lesser concerns and larger capacity batteries may be used, extending the
unit lifetime up to a decade. In addition, this embodiment has almost no
visible profile and is far less invasive visually. Limiting the size of a
unit would be dependent on battery style.

[0243] While described within the context of a standard door 2710, all of
the above embodiments are also applicable to sliding doors and windows.
The swinging door is the most complex of the current proposed
implementations. When mounted to a sliding window or sliding door, these
embodiments perform the same underlying function despite having a purely
linear path.

[0244] A method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention is
illustrated in FIG. 28. The method may be implemented within the context
of the system architectures described above but is not limited to any
particular architectures.

[0245] The door/window is initially in a resting position at 2801. If
movement is detected at 2802, then at 2803 the wireless uC awakened from
its low power/sleep state. At 2804, the wireless uC queries the proximity
sensor to take a proximity reading (which may also have been in a low
power state prior to the query and/or may have been activated by the
accelerometer). In response, the proximity sensor makes a reading at 2805
to determine whether the door/window is in an opened or closed position.
If the door/window is opened, determined at 2806, then at 2807, it may
generate an alarm condition which may be transmitted to the IoT hub, the
IoT service, and/or the user device. Eventually, after the alarm
condition has been investigated, the alarm condition may be disabled at
2809. In one embodiment, the alarm condition may be disabled in response
to a signal transmitted from the IoT hub, the IoT service and/or the
user's mobile device. If the door/window is not determined to be opened
at 2806, then at 2808, the wireless uC may be placed back in a low
power/sleep state and the process returns to 2801.

[0246] In one embodiment, the user may configure the system to generate
alarms as described above when the user's home is in a "protected" state
(e.g., when the user leaves the home during the day or at night when the
user is asleep). During other times, when the home is not in a protected
state, the various components on the IoT device 2401 may enter into a low
power/sleep state. A signal from the IoT hub 2405 may then place the IoT
device 2401 into an operational mode in response to manual input from the
user (e.g., via the app on the user device) and/or in accordance with a
daily schedule (e.g., during user--specified times of the day or
evening).

[0247] Various techniques may be used to affix the IoT device 2401 to
doors and windows including, for example, an adhesive (e.g., double-sided
tape) and miniature screws sized to fit through attachment holes in the
IoT device's enclosure.

System and Method for Establishing a Secondary Communication Channel to
Control an Internet of Things (I/O) Device

[0248] In the embodiments of the invention described above, a secure
channel is established between each IoT device and the IoT service
through an IoT hub or a client device (see, e.g., FIGS. 16A-17 and
associated text). Once established, the IoT service may securely send
commands to control and configure each IoT device. In the reverse
direction, each IoT device may transmit data back to the IoT service,
where it may be stored and/or accessed by the end user. By way of
example, when a door or window is opened in the user's home, the IoT
device configured to detect this condition may transmit an indication
that the door/window is opened to the IoT service over the secure
communication channel. Similarly, if an IoT device is configured as a
wireless lock on the user's front door, the user may cause a command to
be transmitted from the IoT service to the IoT device over the secure
communication channel to unlock the front door.

[0249] The above configuration assumes that there is a viable connection
between the IoT device and the IoT service. In some instances, however,
the connection to the IoT service may be disabled. For example, the IoT
service may be down or the Internet connection to the IoT service (e.g.,
via the cellular data network or a leased home Internet connection) may
be inoperative.

[0250] As illustrated in FIG. 29, to address this issue, one embodiment of
the invention provides techniques to establish a secondary communication
channel 2910 between the user's client device 611 and an IoT device 101
so that the user may control and collect data from the IoT device 101,
even when the connection to the IoT service 120 is lost (as indicated by
the X over the communication path between the IoT hub 110 and the IoT
service 120). Thus, if the IoT device 101 is a wireless door lock, the
user may unlock his/her front door using the secondary communication
channel 2910 even though the primary communication channel 2911 to the
IoT service 120 is inoperative.

[0251] In one embodiment, the secondary channel 2910 comprises a Bluetooth
Low Energy (BTLE) communication channel. However, the underlying
principles of the invention are not limited to any particular wireless
communication protocol.

[0252] In one embodiment, a set of secondary channel keys 2950-2951 are
stored and maintained on the client device 611 and the IoT device 101 to
be used for establishing the secure secondary communication channel 2910
between the IoT device 101 and the client device 611. The secondary
channel keys 2950-2951 may be exchanged between the client device 611 and
the IoT device 101 using a secure key exchange protocol. For example, the
same key exchange protocols described above (or a subset thereof) may be
used to exchange keys between the client device 611 and the IoT device
101. Alternatively, the keys may be generated randomly and securely
provided to the IoT device 101 and the client device 611 from the IoT
service 120 (i.e., during a period of time when the connection to the IoT
service is operative).

[0253] Once the keys have been exchanged, the encryption engine 2960 on
the client device 611 may use its key(s) 2950 to encrypt communication
with the IoT device 101 and the encryption engine 1661 on the IoT device
101 may use its key(s) 2951 to decrypt the communications received from
the client device 611. Conversely, the encryption engine 1661 on the IoT
device 101 may use its key(s) to encrypt communication and the encryption
engine 2960 on the client device 611 may use its key(s) to decrypt the
communication.

[0254] Because storing keys on a client device may be less secure than the
embodiments described above, the functionality exposed by the IoT device
101 may be limited when the second communication channel 2910 is used.
The functionality exposed/allowed when the second channel 2910 is used
may also be product-dependent. For example, the user may be allowed to
retrieve a subset of data from the IoT device 101 and/or may be provided
with a subset of the commands to configure or control the IoT device 101.
By way of example, the IoT device may deny user access to data which is
deemed "secure" data and may deny access to "secure" commands (e.g., such
as changing security codes on the IoT device).

[0255] Certain types of IoT devices 101 such as wireless door locks may
have a single, simple function. In one embodiment, access to these
functions is provided via the secondary channel 2910 using an additional
layer of security. For example, in one embodiment, an authentication
module 2970 on the IoT device is configured with a security passcode 2971
such as an N-digit number or alphanumeric password. This may be done, for
example, during a period when the primary secure communication channel
1911 is established between the IoT service 120 and the IoT device 101.
Upon connecting to the IoT service 120, the user may choose the passcode
via a passcode entry app 2920 on the client device 611. The passcode may
then be securely transmitted from the IoT service 120 and securely stored
within a secure storage on the IoT device 101.

[0256] Subsequently, when the user establishes the secondary communication
channel 2910 from the client device 611 (e.g., using the secondary
channel keys as described above), the IoT device 101 may prompt the user
to enter the secure passcode. If the user correctly enters the secure
passcode from the passcode entry app 2920, then the authentication module
2970 will authenticate the user and provide access to the data and
functions to be performed by the IoT device 101 (or a specified subset
thereof). In one embodiment, the authentication engine 2970 will
disconnect the secondary communication channel 2910 after a specified
number of failed passcode attempts. If the IoT device 101 is a wireless
door lock, for example, then the passcode acts as an extra layer of
security for entry into the user's home.

[0257] A method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention is
illustrated in FIG. 30. The method may be implemented within the context
of the system architectures described above but is not limited to any
particular system architecture.

[0258] At 3001, a secure connection is established between the IoT service
and the IoT device (e.g., through an IoT device using the secure key
exchange techniques described above). At 3002, a secondary key exchange
is performed between the IoT device and the client device. As mentioned,
this may be accomplished in a variety of ways including directly between
the client device and IoT device or via the IoT service (e.g., which may
generate a random set of keys and securely provide the keys to each of
the IoT device and client device).

[0259] At 3003, the IoT device is programmed with a secure passcode. As
mentioned, this may be done via an app on the user's client device which
prompts the user to enter an N-digit numerical code or alphanumeric code.
The passcode may be securely transmitted to the IoT device via a secure
channel established between the IoT service and the IoT device.

[0260] If the primary secure connection fails, determined at 3004, then at
3005 a secondary secure connection between the client device and the IoT
device may be established using a secondary communication protocol. In
one embodiment, the secondary protocol encrypts communication between the
IoT device and the client device using the secondary keys exchanged at
3002. As mentioned, the underlying wireless communication protocol may be
implemented using BTLE or other local wireless protocol.

[0261] At 3006, the IoT device prompts the user to enter the secure
password via the user's client device. If the user enters the correct
passcode, determined at 3007, then the IoT device permits access to its
data and functions at 3008 (or a subset thereof). If the user does not
enter the correct passcode, then access to the IoT device is denied at
3009.

[0262] Embodiments of the invention may include various steps, which have
been described above. The steps may be embodied in machine-executable
instructions which may be used to cause a general-purpose or
special-purpose processor to perform the steps. Alternatively, these
steps may be performed by specific hardware components that contain
hardwired logic for performing the steps, or by any combination of
programmed computer components and custom hardware components.

[0263] As described herein, instructions may refer to specific
configurations of hardware such as application specific integrated
circuits (ASICs) configured to perform certain operations or having a
predetermined functionality or software instructions stored in memory
embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium. Thus, the
techniques shown in the figures can be implemented using code and data
stored and executed on one or more electronic devices (e.g., an end
station, a network element, etc.). Such electronic devices store and
communicate (internally and/or with other electronic devices over a
network) code and data using computer machine-readable media, such as
non-transitory computer machine-readable storage media (e.g., magnetic
disks; optical disks; random access memory; read only memory; flash
memory devices; phase-change memory) and transitory computer
machine-readable communication media (e.g., electrical, optical,
acoustical or other form of propagated signals--such as carrier waves,
infrared signals, digital signals, etc.). In addition, such electronic
devices typically include a set of one or more processors coupled to one
or more other components, such as one or more storage devices
(non-transitory machine-readable storage media), user input/output
devices (e.g., a keyboard, a touchscreen, and/or a display), and network
connections. The coupling of the set of processors and other components
is typically through one or more busses and bridges (also termed as bus
controllers). The storage device and signals carrying the network traffic
respectively represent one or more machine-readable storage media and
machine-readable communication media. Thus, the storage device of a given
electronic device typically stores code and/or data for execution on the
set of one or more processors of that electronic device. Of course, one
or more parts of an embodiment of the invention may be implemented using
different combinations of software, firmware, and/or hardware.

[0264] Throughout this detailed description, for the purposes of
explanation, numerous specific details were set forth in order to provide
a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent,
however, to one skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced
without some of these specific details. In certain instances, well known
structures and functions were not described in elaborate detail in order
to avoid obscuring the subject matter of the present invention.
Accordingly, the scope and spirit of the invention should be judged in
terms of the claims which follow.